UK's 'Be Ready' campaign: The UK government has told public to brace for food shortages and widespread disruption from cyber attacks and emergencies under a new national initiative 'Be Ready' campaign. The 'Be Ready' campaign is aimed at persuading people to stock up with supplies to last 72 hours, amid growing concern about the impact of the climate crisis, technological dependency and hostile state threats. The Andy Burnham's government is focussing on national resilience in the wake of threats from Russia, according to a report in The Independent.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced recently that Britain must be ready for war in 1,000 days, as the nation’s enemies could be ready to attack the UK in 2030. “Our adversaries’ willingness to harm us is not new. What has changed is their capacity. By 2030 their force strength and war economy could put them in a position to attack. That gives us a little over 1,000 days to complete our mission: to be ready with our allies to fight and win," he wrote in The Telegraph.
Talking about the potential of Russian aggression, he added: ‘To prevent the worst, we have to prepare for it”. Explaining the ‘Be Ready’ campaign, he said: “In the face of those threats, which are not hypothetical but real, and not somewhere else but increasingly here, we have to step up and take seriously our national resilience as well as our national defence.
“It’s really important that we ask households and businesses are they prepared?”. Vladimir Putin’s government warned that British facilities in Ukraine will be considered “legitimate targets” if they are used to support long-range strikes against Russia.
What is UK government's be ready campaign?
The UK government has launched its ‘Be Ready’ campaign as part of a three-year effort to help households prepare for emergencies. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has introduced updated guidance covering potential threats, including floods and wildfires.
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People across the UK are being encouraged to take basic precautions in case essential services are disrupted. These include keeping enough cash, bottled water and tinned food at home to last three days. The government has also launched a dedicated website featuring a downloadable emergency kit checklist.
ReutersFILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham greets staff during a visit to a Sainsbury’s store with the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Pat McFadden Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, London, Britain, August 26, 2026. Richard Pohle/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Demand for tinned food, wind-up radios and torches has reportedly increased since the updated guidance was announced. Prime minister Andy Burnham has also advised people to stock up on food and water in case of emergencies. He told the BBC: “It’s not about panicking...It’s about just taking sensible measures to have enough in the house to tide you over should there be a difficult situation”.
What is included in the ‘Be Ready’ emergency checklist?
The government recommends preparing an emergency kit containing essential supplies that can support you and your household for up to three days during an emergency. This could include a power outage, an interruption to the water supply or other unexpected disruptions.
The checklist includes:
- Bottled water: Keep enough drinking water for three days. Each person should have around three litres per day for drinking, along with additional water for cooking and washing.
- Non-perishable food: Stock up on food that can be eaten without cooking, including tinned meat, fruit and vegetables. Keep a tin opener handy and remember to include food for pets.
- Hand sanitiser and wet wipes: These can help maintain personal hygiene if the water supply is interrupted.
- Lighting and warm clothing: Pack a torch, spare batteries, blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes to stay comfortable if heating or electricity becomes unavailable.
- Portable power bank: Keep a charged power bank available so you can recharge your mobile phone if the electricity supply goes down.
- Battery-powered or wind-up radio: A radio can help you receive emergency updates during a power cut. A car radio may also be useful, although you should avoid going outside unnecessarily during severe weather.
- First-aid supplies: Prepare a first-aid kit containing essentials such as waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers.
- Baby essentials: Households with infants should keep supplies such as nappies and baby formula. Ready-to-feed formula is particularly useful because access to boiled water and sterilising equipment may be limited.
- Cash and important documents: Keep some money in a combination of notes and coins, along with payment cards. Store copies of identification and other essential documents, and write down important telephone numbers. Include details of any regular medication and the required doses.