To think we are being lined up for something?

[BeverForget]

I work in food supply chain.
Four of the 'big' grocery retailers have just asked to renegotiate at least four weeks min supply, as opposed to two.
This happened in Feb 2020 as well.
Lots of rhetoric about being on a war footing, from politicos.
And then Sunak essentially jumping ship yesterday, as though he knows there is a crisis on the horizon that he wants no part of.
There is no way that the Tories have a prayer in a July election.
So what do they know that they aren't telling us?

I've just been and Sainsbury's was fully stocked, absolutely no panic buying, no queues at the petrol pumps.

They were running low on flavoured water but have been for weeks, part of me thinks they're discontinuing it.

Which supermarket?
I bought few big packs of batteries for my son's toys at Asda this morning and did food shopping at LIDL and Aldi - didn't notice anything...

Some sensible info on what to do from the respected daily mail

"Don't do it all at once." Really good advice, IMHO

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13446219/emergency-survival-kit-floods-cyber-attacks-power-cuts.html

What else should we be doing to prepare for war than we are already doing. We have our nuclear deterrent, what else should we do? In a nuclear war there’ll be no winners anyway.

What else should we be doing to prepare for war than we are already doing. We have our nuclear deterrent, what else should we do? In a nuclear war there’ll be no winners anyway.

We, along with the rest of European NATO, need to invest in our conventional deterrence with two major things in mind:

1. America focusing more on the indo-pacific and not having capacity for Europe anymore

1. A revanchist Russia that may take an opportunity to push against NATO, initiate further land grabs etc with the potential support of China, Iran and North Korea. Especially dangerous if the US is engaged in the IP at the same time

Putin has to know that a war with NATO is not doable along any kind of spectrum.

We also need to strengthen our defence in vulnerable grey zone areas. Russia is engaging us just below the threshold of kinetic war currently. We need to step up in the areas of cyber, disinformation etc and look to our critical infrastructure and civil defence planning

But that is up to you if you see everything in black and white though. Not everyone are like you, some of us can see it sensibly and not be scared but also not turn a blind eye to that things could happen. Cyber attacks for example.

And it would just be silly not to have some extra food & water amongst other necessary things at home.

You don’t have to turn off the news completely to enjoy the summer. Most of us are capable to do both.

Ah, that made me laugh, thank you.

I read this too in the last few days.
Hopefully it won't start spreading between humans.
My mum caught Psittacosis off a pet cockatiel and was really with breathing difficulties. Her GP came out and she was off in an ambulance blue lights on. The cause was only discovered because she had a bad bite from the bird on her finger. Full recovery once they knew the cause and could treat it.

Where is this? I've been to Waitrose and Sainsburys today and no rationing at all. They weren't even heaving with customers, I expect that will be tomorrow because of the bank holiday.

People less likely to follow instructions in future, after the appalling behaviour of Johnson and his government.
I don't get my news from social media so won't be falling down any conspiracy rabbit holes.
I would be taking a considered approach should we end up with another pandemic.

I think lots of people started to panic or lots of them are on Mumsnet :) Just spoke with my neighbour, who has 4 months old baby. Her husband just came back from supermarkets carrying 23 tubs of formula milk. Insane. I remember I couldn't get our formula for 3 weeks during first lockdown, but thanks God my son was old enough to drink cows milk. So yes, panic buying started....

Haven’t rtft but I’m quite pleased this is happening as stock in our local big 4 has been totally shocking. Perhaps we might be able to get some of the everyday stuff if they have more stock out the back! It’s as bad now for us for some things as it was during 2020.

So if we beef up our defences if the US loses interest in Europe how much is this going to cost and where will this money come from ? Thames Water is going bust , many UK councils are going bust , our social services are on their knees as is the NHS , housing is a disaster but we must find money for guns not butter. Good luck with that. Covid,Brexit and Johnson and Truss have robbed us dry.

Vile new build homes?
We have a housing crisis in case you hadn't noticed. We all need a home and there's so many homeless and in temporary accommodation.

They all know they just don't want to scare the populace.

If you're interested in reading the actual article (which sensibly argues for an increase in defence spending as important to election campaigning in the context of the upcoming GE and the current geopolitical situation) it's here: archive.ph/2024.05.23-070823/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/23/uk-election-rishi-sunak-conservative-party-world-war-putin/

Yes… I wonder which party is putting defence further up it’s list of priorities

We do need more housing.
Just not 4 bed detached and garages
We are building more ‘homes’ for cars than humans.

We need terraces, townhouses ( higher so take up less land) and flats.

New developments are not designed as such for the good of the people, and are irrelevant to the local communities housing needs. There is never enough relevant sized or priced housing. It’s pure profit making by greedy developers.

@slore is absolutely correct including the comment on land wasted on livestock.

That article in the Torygraph - no surprises says the Tories by a long mile ! No one seems to say how much though just that we need to do it.

Also… I really do wish I thought ‘they all know’. Who is all? I feel pretty confident that not many people actually ‘know’ that much. Especially those in Uk government.
Knowing mean organisation. Knowing means the UK is prepared for lots of things. I don’t get the feeling the UK is in a brilliantly organised and ordered state at the moment- do you?
A bit like in covid. ‘They’ actually didn’t know anything. And behind the scenes it was like the wizard of OZ with a baboon in charge getting orders from monkeys.

Defence spending
Heres what Conservatives and Labour say,

I’ve only been and got one; two actually! A double-pronged defence 😬

Conservatives say an increase in defence spending by 2.5% of GDP
Labour say they will support the above budget but need to look into it.

Poor old Sir Keir he's going to inherit a pretty broken state, people crying out for help and no money and a possible war. I don't envy his job one bit, but I do trust him. He is honest as the day is long.

Part of our front wall is a WW2 snipers bunker, I might have to station myself there but I’ve only got brollies. Maybe I should follow your lead with the torches @cattery,