UK defence secretary Wes Streeting says he has been stockpiling food and water
Britain’s Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, has said he began stockpiling food and water weeks ago in case of a national emergency, revealing his own supplies in an interview with The Times reported on Saturday, 31 October.
Streeting said he has stocked up on baked beans, sweetcorn, red kidney beans, tuna, protein bars and nuts, plus bottled water, a first aid kit and a battery-powered torch. He said he started setting the supplies aside because he wanted to “lead by example”.
He said his mother had asked how much she needed to buy before payday, and that he was glad people were thinking about household resilience, calling the supplies “commonsense things for the everyday challenges”.
The comments follow the government’s “Be Ready” campaign, which urges households to keep three days of supplies, including bottled water and non-perishable food, a radio and cash, in case everyday services are disrupted. Streeting has stressed that people should be “alert but not alarmed”, and that there is no specific threat in mind.
Streeting also spoke about defence spending after Chancellor John Healey’s first budget. Healey wants defence spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035, and has asked Whitehall departments to find 1% cuts to help fund it. Streeting said Britain should be able to deter its adversaries and, “should deterrence fail, to be ready to defeat them”.
Why it matters
It is unusual for a defence secretary to publicly describe his own emergency supplies. It links household readiness to a bigger debate about defence: the government is asking the public to prepare for disruption while also raising military spending. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Britain was on “a credible path” towards the spending targets agreed by allies. But Healey has been criticised for leaving the details of how Britain will reach 3% until next year’s spending review.
What happens next
The details of the plan to reach 3% of GDP are expected at next year’s spending review, when ministers are also likely to face more questions about the “Be Ready” advice. Streeting has said extra defence spending must be done carefully: “Spending more money badly is not virtuous.”
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.europesays.com/britain/155955/ (The Guardian, via EuropeSays, 31 October 2026)
- https://zot.news/article/uk-defence-secretary-wes-streeting-says-he-stockpiling-food-gq5eb (The Guardian, via Zot News, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.the-gazette.co.uk/news/national/26662773.streeting-urges-public-alert-not-alarmed-amid-call-stock-crisis/ (The Gazette / PA Media, 22 October 2026)
