To stockpile food, medicine and petrol?

[Laudanumm]

So apparently we're now at very high risk of exiting the EU in March without a trade agreement with the EU. The government wanted to keep it secret, but it's been leaked that the middle of the 3 outcomes they're discussing, so not the bad one, is the port of Dover collapsing on day 1, immediate food shortages and almost immediate petrol and medicine shortages - as in, no food in the supermarkets. It's in the Sunday Times. AIBU to start stockpiling?

DGRossetti A term is now ment to be 5 years the rules changed a while ago, unless it is agreed by the parliament to have a GE, what gov in waiting is going to refuse the chance.

but surely any government would but contingency in for the worst case

And therein is the problem in a nutshell - why people aren't getting angry enough - why they are allowing this to happen. because YES surely any govt would have a contingency plan. of course they must. No govt could let this happen... but this govt doesn't have one.

They are incompetent, clueless and corrupt. They have no understanding of what they are trying to undertake - despite the civil servants and the EU trying repeatedly to explain it to them. They are investigating possibilities (such as max fac) which are in fact, impossible - and even after they have been told as much - still spending time (which they don't have) and (taxpayer) money on looking into it.

They do not have a contingency plan - the thing we are discussing is their own report on the utter Armageddon that will result if we have no deal - and still they are making no signs of avoiding it.
Please understand this! It is not me saying this will happen. This is what the govts own report says will happen.

They will blunder into no deal - unless the weight of public opinion forcibly stops them. But as long as people insist on believing that no govt would ever do this... then that public opinion will never swing. Our complacency will be our downfall.

As it would be them put up against the wall first
This is what I think too. It is almost impossible to get your head around that they could be this stupid - that they could be this unaware of the danger they are putting themselves in...
I think maybe that is beginning to sink in at last - hence why TM and the DUP are showing signs of softening on the CM.
But up until this point - they really really have been this stupid. And it may be too late to change course.
Why do you think Farage is trying to get foreign citizenship? - he knows he won't survive the post brexit mob. And yet he is the one who dedicated his life into stirring this trouble up.

As I said before it is not the public’s fault it will be the governments for giving the public the vote and not preparing for the obvious leave vote, then not doing a good enough job in the negotiations,

No it will also be the leave voters fault. They are the ones who swallowed the lies. And they were lies.

What a depressing thread. Not for the focus on the worst of three WTO scenarios cobbled together by anti-Brexit civil servants and 'leaked' to The Times (by whom? Why?), but for the panicky hysteria on view, stoked up by a few commenters who are almost certainly working for the EU or one of George Soros' front organisations.

Stockpile if you must but there will be no disaster on Day 1. Or Day 10. Or, indeed, Day 110.

Airplanes will not stop flying. We make half our own food. Less than a third of our food imports come from EU countries and staples like meat, fruit and veg are barely a third of that total (Sec.3.4).

Medicines? A no deal Brexit, where the EU and UK treat each other in the WTO multilateral framework manner, would not add a tariff burden to pharmaceutical trade. Fuel? We import less than half our gas via the EU and more than half of those imports come from Norway and Russia. Oil? Nearly all comes from Norway, Algeria and Nigeria. Until we get fracking properly, anyway.

As for the people who say 'stolen my future', 'wrecked my country', etc. etc., calm down. What Brexit is really about is saving the UK from being absorbed in a federal European superstate ruled from Brussels by unelected foreigners. I refer, of course, to the Commission, as MEPs have almost no political power.

Surely everybody can see the EU's completely clear direction of travel, towards a United States of Europe, whether the citizens of the countries involved want that or not? At least 17.4m UK voters don't want it.

We are leaving the EU. We will leave the customs union and single market. We will still buy from and sell to EU member states as we always have, either in a trade deal or on WTO terms. It will be a bit rocky at the beginning but we will be fine once things settle down - and in charge of our own democracy again.

There will be no second referendum or 'people's vote'. The only vote will be in Parliament and will be either to accept the bad deal the useless, vindictive EU will offer us at two minutes to midnight, or reject it, which will mean WTO.

PS: If you want to store more than 30 litres of petrol at home you need a licence.

ohreallyohreallyoh I would imagine they would or let us back in for more money and no rebates, But watching carry on Brussels, what a farce it seems, unless that’s way it’s made to look

We had a general election because the Prime Minister foolishly called one. As they are allowed to do. Referenda don't work like that.
It isn't like Britain's got talent ffs.

Done supply chain maths:

I chose rice because the maths are easier and data is available on the UN website

1lb of rice contains 1600 calories. Therefore 1 ton of rice will feed 2000 people a day. So that equates to 33,287 tons per day or 1108 shipping containers. To feed the UK

So to feed the population and restock back to the 3 days supply to get the country back to normal. You are looking at getting nearly 7000 containers through.

But when you consider that there will be armed gangs attacking food convoys, ports not working at full capacity. Shortage of drivers. Shortage of fuel. If becomes a major issue.

Knives are a good idea, as are things spear-like - although most people won't be able to throw them, so they're close quarter weapons.

Catapults might be an idea for longer distance effect. Still takes some practice, but might dissuade a less determined or committed person.

Ideally bow and arrow, but (again) needs practice and skill ... but again might deter a chancer.

Holy grail would be to upgrade from a knife to a gun by taking out a more determined attacker (possibly by weight of numbers). Although guns are only any use if you can get the ammunition.

There are also all sorts of nasty and simple things that can be done with squeezy bottles and household ingredients.

If you're prepping right, that is ....

Hark, is that a patriotic volunteer to pledge for Zero Preparation? C'mon, roll up, roll up and show us your mettle!

Lost,

We probably never have less than about 3 months of dried and canned food and other supplies and that’s excluding what we could hunt (shoot, fish or trap), sometimes we have more. The freezer food is what I’d use first, I guess that would be sensible anyway. I do wonder if a solar array might attract less attention than a generator... if we are planning for a full Zombie Apocalypse!

what TRUE facts have come to live or situations changed

Well there's not going to be 350 million a week for the NHS for one. (that promise was broken on 24th June 2016 if I recall)
Donald Trump got into power instead of (the predicted) Hilary Clinton. He has just upped tariffs on steel and aluminium coming from Europe. he is essentially attempting to start a trade war, whilst making it less likely that American buyers will bother with our aluminium and steel (having an effect on manufacturers and jobs this end) so that's new since 2016.
Lots of businesses have relocated. Others have simply folded.
The Japanese ambassador has warned that if we hard brexit there will be no Japanese investment in Britain in ten years time - they will relocate to the EU. More job losses.

It turns out the leave campaign was illegally funded - there was Russian interference - and data was illegally harvested by Cambridge Analytica, which they used to target undecided voters with pro brexit ads on the internet.
The EU has just signed a major trade deal with Japan - which we will not benefit from.
The countries we assumed we would make quick and easy trade deals with have already (way before negotiations can start) laid down red lines. America and Australia are telling us we need to accept hormone ridden beef. India and China are not interested unless we allow way more of their citizens visas... which if the vote was about immigration, rather changes things, doesn't it?

Do i need to go on? Because I can.

Lettuce, I think you'll be ok! Generators apart from solar need fuel.
That would be my thinking. To be honest, this is a conversation better had on a thread in the Prepper topic. No one thinks you're a mad tin foil hat wearing freak over there if you buy in a couple of bags of dried chick peas .

Icantreachthepretzels despite the civil servants and the EU trying repeatedly to explain it to them. That’s all you want an interested party telling you what to do in negotiations.
And yes it is the governments fault, everybody got asked a binary question, in out, nothing else, not how, when etc, they are our paid representatives and as DC said we will do as the people vote.

DGRossetti A term is now ment to be 5 years the rules changed a while ago, unless it is agreed by the parliament to have a GE, what gov in waiting is going to refuse the chance

So, as I said, it can vary up to five years. As we saw 2015/2017. Let's dispense with this "supposed to" shit, eh ? Lots of things are "supposed to" be that aren't.

If the shelf life of the 2015 general election was 2 years, then I see no reason why the referendum vote should be treated any differently.

Not that what I think matters anyway. As has been made patently clear in my half century on this planet. All I ever wanted to do was get to the grave with the minimum of fuss, not get to live in interesting times.

@Whollyfather...

We make half our own food...

ALL the rest either comes from the EU, or is imported to the UK via deals made with other countries as PART of the EU. We have no independant trade deals, and they take time to forge.

When you go shopping this week, buy half the food than you normally do. Make sure all of it is in-season and UK grown or reared.

This will give you a guide to the fruit and Veg you'll have access to. Note that there's nothing citrus based on there at all.

Survive off that for the week, then do it again next week, and again, and again. You'll lose weight, and gain health issues.

A loss of half the UK's food stocks is nothing to paint as a positive. We're either all going on WW2 level rationing or half the population can't eat!

Icantreachthepretzels And how nots what will change in the next 5-50 years, I don’t get this one about the bus, I never expected the full 350 million to go to the NHS, let’s fund the NHS instead it didn’t say by how much, All the things that you include on that list could change or alter at anytime, we haven’t left yet, the EU will not let us back on the same terms, so unfortunately we have to push on

We're either all going on WW2 level rationing or half the population can't eat!

Quite aside from self-inflicted dietary restrictions, there's also the question of specialist foods. Gluten-free springs to mind ...

"then I see no reason why the referendum vote should be treated any differently".
Because we don't govern by referenda.
The ROI vote was to make a change to its constitution and, as fraught as that debate got, the Irish system of government- with a smaller population and a smaller economy- is different to ours.
If you are in your 50s as I am, you will have seen that we don't govern by referenda. You might wish it. But we don't.

That’s all you want an interested party telling you what to do in negotiations.

FFS you want experts, whose job it is to understand this stuff, to explain it to you. And that is what the civil servants and the law writers/ trade negotiators of the EU are. They know what they are talking about.

Sometimes something really is just a bad idea.

But this attempt to dismiss expert advice as being 'interested parties' and therefore lying is just more brexishiteer buccaneering and refusal to accept reality. That is no way to run a country.

And yes it is the governments fault, everybody got asked a binary question, in out, nothing else, not how, when etc, they are our paid representatives and as DC said we will do as the people vote.

And any fuckwit who voted 'out' - who listened to the lies, who accepted that lack of plan, who decided to chance a leap off a cliff into the dark unknown is culpable.
Yes the govt should never have asked. But no one had to tell them to do it. Anyone who did is it at fault and needs to face up to that. Leavers cannot cravenly squirm out of the responsibility of what they have done.

If they didn't fully understand the implication of what they were voting for - then they had no business voting for a massive change they did not understand.
If they don't like what it is happening - then it is raising their voices in protest that will make a difference. Not abdicating responsibility.

If they knew exactly what they were voting for - potential riots, food scarcity, increased poverty, lack of medication, loss of jobs - and they voted for that anyway... then how can anyone claim that this isn't their fault?

Because we don't govern by referenda.

Respectfully, the entire business of the UK parliament since 2017 would suggest we do ...

Respectfully, back at you, we don't. They are rare. We had one. The government is abiding by it. It will have a cataclysmic effect on us. But that's not to see we get one every day.
And general elections are not the same as referenda. Please say you know this already.

I don’t get this one about the bus, I never expected the full 350 million to go to the NHS, let’s fund the NHS instead it didn’t say by how much,

Don't be so fucking disingenuous. If you want to debate then do it in good faith. You asked for what facts came to light. The fact that the Boris bus was a lie came to light the very next day.
It does not matter that you, in your lofty wisdom, did not believe the full 350 million would go to the NHS. You cannot categorically claim that people did not take it at face value - or at least believe that the NHS would be better funded after brexit. The leave majority was minuscule - and that lie made a difference.

All the things that you include on that list could change or alter at anytime,
Anything can alter at any time. That is no argument for ripping up 40 years of trade negotiations, treaties, human rights, extradition rights and access to funding in one fell swoop and starting again at year zero - whilst the rest of the world stays where it is and then moves forward without you.
Again that is an incredibly disingenuous line of argument.
The EU is about protecting peace in Europe - as much as it is about protecting trade. Whilst the politics of the world may change - sometimes massively and quickly - a huge bloc of allied nations will be able to react calmly and carefully. Any other changes can happen incrementally - to allow everything to stay stable as the new order takes effect.
Brexit is not like that. We have thrown away our ability to adapt sensibly and cautiously to a changing political scene by voting for brexit.

lost I really don;t understand your point about referenda. No we don;t govt by them (and god willing they will one day soon be outlawed). But we got into this mess because the govt chose to call a referendum. Why on earth do you think they cannot choose to do so again?

Respectfully, back at you, we don't. They are rare.

Granted

We had one. The government is abiding by it

OK then. Why ? It wasn't created to be binding - especially as we know what they look like (well, Scottish folk do).

And general elections are not the same as referenda. Please say you know this already.

I do indeed. In fact I've grown up with successive governments dismissing referenda as "something other people do" and "not having any place in a parliamentary democracy". So what is so special - so scared - about this one ?

The EU is about protecting peace in Europe - as much as it is about protecting trade.

The latter is merely a mechanism for the former.

I've put an extra packet of chocolate digestives in my trolley. Aibu? Will digestives shoot up in price now if we all stock pile them?

The EU is about protecting peace in Europe
Shame about Bosnia, Serbia then don't then they count? The EU is about protecting big business and bloated bureaucrats.