UK Government Urges Britons To Follow 'War Book' Stockpiling Advice Amid Rising Cyber Threats

Households across Britain will be told to keep tinned food and bottled water at home as part of a new government drive to help the public prepare for cyber attacks and extreme weather, according to reports.

The advice, first detailed by the Financial Times, centres on reviving and updating a Cold War-era 'war book', a manual setting out how government and the public should respond to major disruption, whether from hostile states or climate-driven shocks.

A government source described the guidance as 'common sense, not scaremongering', saying it would be pushed out via social media and official channels and would focus on simple measures such as keeping tinned food and water at home.

The move follows a marked shift in focus on national resilience within Andy Burnham's administration, with officials reportedly concerned by a combination of geopolitical tension with Russia and this summer's severe heatwaves.

Cyber and Climate Risks Pushed up the Agenda

Ministers are weighing the risk of a serious cyber attack on critical infrastructure, including energy, communications and payment systems, alongside the threat posed by extreme weather. The government's national risk register, updated last month, already lists cyber attacks, infrastructure failure and severe weather among the most significant hazards facing the UK. The latest revision also added the risk of interference in Britain's democratic process, reflecting concern over disinformation and hostile state activity.

Officials stress the register is a planning tool rather than a forecast, used by emergency planners and businesses to prepare for a range of scenarios. The 'war book' initiative extends that planning into people's homes, encouraging households to consider how they would cope if supply chains were disrupted or services went offline for an extended period.

The timing follows a fresh warning from Moscow over British support for Ukraine. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Britain's supply of blueprints for UK-made components used in the French-built Scalp missile amounted to direct involvement in the war, and warned of 'consequences'.

Speaking outside Kyiv's St Sophia Cathedral on Monday, Burnham said he would not be deterred from continuing to support Ukraine. Officials have not explicitly linked the war book to the Russian threat, though the overlap has been widely noted.

Farmers Highlight Growing Food Supply Pressures

The stockpiling push comes as Britain faces a separate, slower-developing concern: food security. Analysts have warned that extreme heat and prolonged drought could push the UK towards its worst food security crisis in decades.

Akhil Patel and Clive Black of Shore Capital told the Telegraph that a run of heatwaves and dry conditions risked damaging harvests, reducing domestic supply and increasing reliance on imports, a combination that could also raise animal feed costs and, in turn, consumer prices. 'The UK has not been so close to a food security challenge for many decades,' they said.

The National Farmers' Union has called the situation 'increasingly concerning', noting that some dairy farmers have already had to draw on winter feed reserves after stalled grass growth.

Officials Temper Expectations of Stockpiling Plan

Government sources acknowledge that stockpiling advice will not resolve these deeper structural pressures. But the initiative marks an unusual moment of officials publicly conceding that the assumption of uninterrupted services and supply may no longer hold.

The proposals have not yet been formally confirmed, and further details are expected in the coming weeks.