Why do people here have a stash for Brexit?

[ssd]

I can see the point if it's medicines or medical supplies, but I've seen a few threads here where people are stashing tuna, toilet rolls and sweets!?

Are you all fucking mad?

I'm a total remainder but come on, I know it'll be shit but you'll still find asda and tesco will be open

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat???????

Supermarkets do ration two per customer, but there is nothing to stop you going back in and getting another two several times over.

Rationing would limit what you can buy in any one period. Going to be harder to administer though, one would have thought until an electronic system is set up.

Yeah, sorry - will read back through a bit, but just a note that we will have some stuff stocked up because I have dcs with SNs, and they have huge food issues, so I don't want to risk running out of specific items that they rely on. I do worry a bit about our meds, but we've gotten slightly ahead on that, so hopefully it won't impact us.

I have no idea what will happen - dreading any kind of upheaval as it creates chaos for us - but will have to keep an eye on how things develop.

Rationing would limit what you can buy in any one period. Going to be harder to administer though, one would have thought until an electronic system is set up.

Wouldn't that be something they could monitor/flag through store loyalty cards?

Asda don't have loyalty cards, though, nor do loads of shops. Same issue with multiple visits to different shops, too.

It would have to be ration books. Johnson would probably be barking enough to go for it. Echoes of British wartime pluck and all that.

I've experienced food rationing in another country with a severely fucked economy (the part of the former Soviet Union that I worked in in late 80s). Food was available but expensive and patchy in supply. Just "the basics" were rationed to make sure everyone could access stuff. I gave my sugar rations away in exchange for home cooked meals from pals.

They wouldn't issue ration cards, even if there are delays at the ports it will only be short-term. That's my view anyway.

based on what mamamia? how did you reach your conclusions?

They wouldn't issue ration cards, even if there are delays at the ports it will only be short-term

It would be difficult to issue ration cards as everyone would need to be registered, something that the UK singularly fails to do as this would in effect mean introducing ID cards. Before WWII this was actually what happened – everyone had to register, not only for rations, but also so that the government knew who was available to join the armed forces and who could be ordered to undertake other work.

According to The Times, Sainsbury’s has begun drawing up plans to restrict the quantities of some goods that can be ordered online in an effort to stop consumers stockpiling. The plans have been decided amid claims that supermarkets’ food stocks could be depleted within just four days — with shoppers facing almost empty shelves within five days of a no-deal Brexit. www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/brexit-online-shoppers-face-rationing-to-stop-hoarding-of-food-and-water-vvljww5pf

As for delays only being short-term, there seems to be an illusion that things ‘will return to normal’ within a few days, in the same way that when there is heavy snowfall and supplies are limited, stocks are able to return to normal once the weather clears up. There is a reluctance to acknowledge that the situation with reduced supplies (for whatever reason) will become the new normal. Unless and until the government reaches trade deals with other countries and puts in place adequate customs facilities and infrastructure, a reduction in the flow of goods (food, medicines, car components and much more) and therefore shortages will be the ‘normal’ situation.

Today The Independent reports; “Ministers are preparing to spend £300m to bring in emergency food and medicine supplies after a no deal Brexit – including through airlifts.” www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-no-deal-emergency-food-medicine-supplies-airlifts-chris-grayling-ferry-a9056981.html

Emergency food supplies? Shortages of life-saving medicines? £300m being spent in a desparate attempt to replace a functioning system that has evolved over 40 years with airlifts, on top of the £83m that Grayling spaffed away on the last contingency shambles? Is this really the Brexit Dividend that Johnson promised?

When would they issue ration cards (if they were going to)? That in itself would take time. Doing it before the 31st october might spark a panic, especially as everything is apparently under control. Waiting till after is too late. If we already had ID cards they could enact rationing that way but we don't have them. And wouldn't that take months and months of planning? I don't see ration cards happening, tbh.

But rationing from the supermarket end, yes. They can limit purchases (even though there are workarounds like ordering from different supermarkets).

I ended up reading about EU eID policy and also the implementation of eIDs worldwide.

ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/trust-services-and-eid

www.gemalto.com/govt/identity/2016-national-id-card-trends

New to this. We always have a bit of a stash. I grew up in the countryside in an area where we sometimes got snowed in. I now live in a city and decided I’d make sure we had enough in to make sure we didn’t have to go out, if there are riots. I’ll do a fresh shop just before Brexit so we should eat pretty normally for the first week. Weeks 2-3 would be more basic - deplete the supply of home made frozen ready meals but other than that we’re looking at Tins and dried goods.

Hoping the electricity doesn’t go out as my frozen food would be buggered! I’ve got candles, torches and solar lamps (mostly from camping) plus a camping stove with a couple of days worth of gas.

I don’t think it’s bonkers. Always sensible to have a supply, not just for Brexit but other supply shocks like weather, illness etc. It’s all stuff we’ll use anyway, I’m just buying it a few weeks in advance. We’ll be buggered if it goes on longer than 4 weeks though.

There was a programme on channel 4 called blackout a few years ago - a 1 hour drama on what could happen if the power went out in the UK for a couple of hours. Quite an interesting watch. At least I know we could just batten down the hatches and stay in for a few days. Following the 2011 riots, my main fear is not being able to leave the house due to riots post Brexit.

Havan - The article states that rationing on line items is one of the options that Sainsburys are considering. So not definite, they are just considering it.

@Mamamia456 have you actually thought about why they are considering it? How far have we fallen that this even needs to be considered, even needs to be formulated, discussed, planned for!! How can anyone seriously still countenance this course we are on? Are they all mad? Or just vindictive against a population that has become so supplicant that we can't even see the foot as it approaches our collective throats. Wake up people, wake up.

I suppose the simplest answer to OP's headline question is 'because we are not bloody stupid'. Then you can throw in all the stuff about the chaos we will be in.

crunchycarrot it’s already too late. Planning for rationing for WW2 started far in advance. First you have to do a census exercise to make sure you know the number you’re sharing food between (how many will cooperate with that I wonder, given the hostile environment). Then You have to have a good idea of all supply lines, domestic producers, etc. Our government just isn’t that organised. Then you need to work out what you are going to allow people to have and how you will ensure effective distribution.

This is a government that has wasted millions and millions with nothing to show for it. They’re simply not capable of administering Breixt well.

I totally agree with you, SalrycLuxx

If there is any registration for rationing it will be a useful way to get rid of illegals / unregistered / undesirables. Your NHS number is a form of ID number, repurposing that would seem simplest.

I have very small stocks anyway but I don't know if I have ever seen anyone mention on these threads perhaps giving a little more to food bank baskets as they stock up for themselves?

It's been mentioned quite a bit, @Gobbolinocat. Depending on people's financial situations of course, but those of us who always did generally still do. Personally speaking, I began stockpiling for March, so as I've been both using and donating goods as they have been approaching their sell by dates.

A previous poster has also said they had stockpiled enough to continue donating, whatever happens, which I think is decent 😊

I'm amassing a few things to donate to the local foodbank at the moment. Things that are nearer to expiration and others that I won't be needing now (dietary requirements changed yet again!). Glad to be of some use at least.

Planning for rationing for WW2 started far in advance.

Yes, and the reason it started far in advance was because politicians remembered how dire the situation was in WW1, when poor people were starving in the streets.
It's a shame this generation of politicians don't remember/give a fuck about how precarious our food situation is.

Helmetbymidnght - Why would the Government even need to think about rationing food, the ports in France are putting plans in place as are our ports. There may be some disruption to begin with and there may be some temporary shortages of certain products, but I do wish people would stop catastrophising. We are not going to starve.

@Mamamia456 if everything is going to be fiiine, why does the government even need to spend our money on something we didn't vote for? Don't you see what's happening yet?

so youre fully satisfied that spending billions on a no deal brexit with hundreds of thousands additionally on a leaflet to every household warning us what to expect, means the govt are in control of this.

okayy.