Defence Secretary Wes Streeting reveals he started stockpiling food 'weeks ago'

The UK's defence secretary, Wes Streeting, says he started stockpiling food and water weeks ago as he spoke on potential incoming threats to the UK.

Streeting previously told the Times that it's not just him who has been stockpiling, but also news of the urgent warning reached his elderly mum.

“I’m glad the message is getting through because my mum got in touch and said ‘payday is coming up, how much do you think I need to buy because I’m just budgeting to the end of the month?’ I’m glad that people are beginning to think about their own household resilience, making sure we’ve got sufficient supplies of bottled water, canned goods, battery-powered torches," he said.

"These are all just commonsense things for the everyday challenges,” Streeting claimed to the outlet.

Wes Streeting says he's been stockpiling for a while now (Getty Stock Images)

When it comes to his own personal stash, he went on to tell the Times that he has chosen things like bottled water, a first aid kit and a battery-powered torch as essentials needed for an emergency situation.

He also added that when it comes to food, he has been stockpiling canned goods like baked beans, sweetcorn, red kidney beans, tuna, and then snacks such as protein bars and nuts.

In light of any emergency, he said there are plans to ramp up the UK's defence spending, as he said: “Spending more money badly is not virtuous."

However, he added the UK needs to be prepared to 'fight the wars ahead.'

The preparedness campaign Streeting wants to 'lead by example' is the Be Ready initiative which provides citizens with advice on how to be prepared for events aside from wars, 'such as severe weather, which can occasionally affect services like power, water, and the internet.'

The website explains: "Simple steps include actions that are completely free, like signing up to the Priority Services Register, a service helping utility companies identify people most in need."

Along with British companies, charities have also signed up to the scheme, which will see them provide advertising about Be Ready.

He said the UK needs to be prepared for an emergency (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP via Getty Images)

Dan Jarvis MP, Security Minister, said of the initiative: "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. "

He added that it's all part of a larger plan, noting: "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."

However, in light of the push to stockpile, some supermarkets have already reported shortages of several non-perishable food items – like baked beans.

Tinned products and water have been seeing much more popularity in recent weeks, with Iceland reporting as much as a '40 percent increase' in sales in one weekend.

So it looks like people are heeding Streeting's warning.