Burnham downplays adding alcohol to emergency food kits after Rayner’s ‘sauvignon blanc’ quip

Britons should not prioritise alcohol in their emergency box of supplies, prime minister Andy Burnham has advised the public.

The government has unveiled its “Be Ready” campaign urging households to prepare for scenarios where everyday services might be temporarily disrupted, with three days of key supplies set aside.

Housing secretary Angela Rayner previously joked that a bottle of sauvignon blanc and mascara would be part of her kit. But when asked if wine would also be part of his emergency box, the prime minister gave a more serious response.

“I’m not sure that that’s the top of the list in terms of the advice that we’re giving to the public,” he said. “You need to have a clear head when it comes to a challenging situation.”

“So yeah, some tins of food, some bottled water. But I’m sure people are allowed a glass or two as well to get them through a difficult situation,” he added.

Defence secretary Wes Streeting warned on Thursday that Britons should prepare for food shortages if “state-sponsored terrorism” disrupts everyday life.

Speaking at the official opening of a new tank gun barrel factory in Telford, Shropshire, Mr Streeting said people should ask themselves whether they were prepared for the consequences of “increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks on our businesses”.

“Are they prepared for the eventuality that there may be disruption to essential supply chains caused by hostile state actors or terrorists?” he asked. “How would we cope if the payment systems of the supermarkets went down?” he said.

“Those are the sorts of everyday challenges and threats we could well face, and it is right we ask the country to be ready for those things and ask everybody to do their bit.”

The public has been advised to keep bottled water and non-perishable food at home in the first stage of a three-year campaign to prepare households across the UK for events such as severe weather and other events that might disrupt supply chains, power and water supplies, phones and the internet.

First-aid kits, hand sanitiser, pet food and baby food were also identified as key items households should consider stocking.

Security minister Dan Jarvis MP said: “Those who can follow this advice should follow this advice. By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.

“This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life.”