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?

We have extreme weather all winter both in the UK and overseas which will impact on harvests, and could impact supply chains.

Coupled with new Brexit regulations about to be implemented I can see why supermarkets would want to increase their stocks to improve their resilience.

We also had water supplies contaminated recently too!

I doubt there is any sort of conspiracy, just risk management assessments.

The harvest issues are well documented

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68792017.amp

I love a good conspiracy theory.

However, it was only in January 2024, that the Government focus finally kick-started into action after Brexit.

They are finally focussing on all the UK farmers who were paid handsomely by the EU not to produce food (paid 2.4 billion annually). Just paid for fields doing nothing. No workers. No investment in the land.

Who are still being paid 2.4 billion annually by the UK tax payer not to farm.

Yes young people - since 1970 - European (including UK) farmers produced/ were able to produce so much food there were "butter mountains" and food destroyed on an industrial scale to keep food prices artificially high (aka profitable for all Eurpoean suppliers and commercial companies)

But the Government has finally woken up and said - actually it might be a better idea if we paid UK farmers to get off their very knowledgeable backsides and actually produce food, instead of continuing to pay them not to produce food.

So I suspect this is behind the re-negotiation of contracts.

They probably need 4 weeks supply because someone has stated we need to stock up and everyone is racing for the toilet roll.

The election was called in accordance with the school academic year in San Fran in mind and not much more…

Haven’t read the rest of the thread but H5N1 bird flu has jumped from chickens to cattle in the US and cattle are now infecting each other…

Didn't they ask us to make sure we have enough food supplies for 3 days or so?

Can you explain what the big 4 companies are actually asking you to do. Thanks

This election was already planned in May. When we voted for local council then they told is we’d be back and gave the date.

they are doing it in July to hope for low turn out when people go on holiday.

they announced it now to push stuff through that otherwise might get picked up and pushed back on.

Probably to do with the dreadful weather and farmers being unable to plant stuff/mortality of sheep and lambs/crops rotting due to rain/late germination due to cold and rain etc etc

YANBU. It’s quite telling that major food retailers are now seeking to renegotiate their supply chains to ensure at least a four-week minimum supply, doubling the usual two weeks. It mirrors the early days of the COVID in February 2020 when similar precautions were taken. I feel like the rhetoric about being on a "war footing" from politicians really heightens the sense of an impending crisis.

Sunak knows what is about to happen and is particularly suspicious, he is probably privy to information about an imminent crisis that he prefers to avoid. Given the current political climate, it seems unlikely that the Tories would fare well in a July election, raising questions about what they know that they are not disclosing to the public.

It's not just the food supply chain preparing as they did at the start of the pandemic; other industries are also taking similar steps. The pharmaceutical industry is increasing its stockpiles of essential medications, anticipating potential disruptions in the supply chain. The tech sector is also ramping up production and storage of critical components, such as semiconductors, in response to potential shortages. The energy sector is securing additional reserves of oil and gas, preparing for possible disruptions in supply due to geopolitical tensions.

These actions across various industries suggest a broad and coordinated effort to brace for significant disruptions, much like what was observed at the onset of the COVID. It seems clear that there is an underlying concern driving these preparations, and the public deserves transparency about the nature and scope of the potential crisis that is prompting such widespread precautionary measures.

Based on them being Labour 🤷🏻‍♀️

1. Policy re protecting womens spaces / in building regs
2. Policy re Labours changes to fast track gender certificates as opposed to the existing Conservative policy which allows interim certificates to be issued protecting married womens status and time to plan.

Very involved policies and changes over years. I can’t site years worth here. So that’s just a couple of examples.

Obviously no 2 protects all married peoples status, women and men. Which goes without saying really

Can anyone link to any articles about this or where the government first said it?

I told a family member and they won’t believe me, despite sending articles from the Times, Sky News and the DM. Apparently as none of them are the bbc, I must be kidding them

I’ve got emergency procedures for our home in place and the kids know what to do the second all the phones start howling.
I keep enough food rotating for three weeks or more and we have alternative means of fuel.
I’m not a prepper and don’t have a basement full of food or anything like that but if there for some reason is a collapse of some sort, we are prepared but more than that, if I’m at work I’m unlikely to be able to get home easily as I work in the middle of London so it’s important that my children know how to behave and react if shit does indeed hit the fan.

We should be on a war footing, because we should be supporting Ukraine more and that’s what it requires. They’re fighting our fight for us but be under no illusions, Putin has aspirations far beyond Ukraine. We should be ramping up our military industrial capacity, giving them what they need and being prepared for other eventualities.

Linked to that we’ve had to wean ourselves off from Russian gas and Oil and that’s put pressure on the economy but it’s the right thing to do.

Equally the Middle East has led to increased shipping and other costs.

China are buying up gold stocks at an unprecedented rate, aiming it’s likely to become the Global South’s reserve currency and that’ll impact too, as would any blockade or invasion of Taiwan.

There are a multitude of interconnected global issues that mean it makes sense for supermarkets, and other industries, to undertake abnormal levels of preparedness.

And all of that comes alongside climate change and Covid hangovers.

Prepare.campaign.gov.uk. ie govn website.

Nothing new though this is to prepare for risks
flooding,
cyber
etc.

Another virus is on the way? I’ve read ‘they’re’ making a new vaccine for the next big one. Conspiracy theory? I’ve no idea🤔

It’s a Major issue

Border controls are tightening on food from October. I work in supply chain. It’s going to be a nightmare. I think that’s what they’re preparing for.

they are doing it in July to hope for low turn out when people go on holiday.

It takes 2 minutes to apply for a postal vote so I really can't see this.

Yes, it's a conspiracy theory because you can't make a vaccine for an illness that doesn't exist yet.

Husband works in IT - been lots of talk about increased cyber-threats lately and potential power cuts.

Thanks. Got what we needed from the foodbank, kids didn't go hungry (just missed out on their usual Friday movie night treats) and off to their Dad's now till Monday. £21 of club card vouchers came in the post this morning so if I'm wrong about a benefit payment on Mon that'll feed us that evening and then the food bank's open again on Tuesday. Only a week left of this month, should get through it fine and then on the 1st I can do normal supermarket shops again.

@RickyGervaislovesdogs Sorry 🤣🫣