UK GOVERNMENT CRITICISED FOR FEAR MONGERING- Deputy Prime Minister calls for contingency plans for potential emergencies.

The Deputy Prime Minister,  Oliver Dowden, will urge families today to stockpile food and water to help build national ‘resilience’. Mr Dowden will advise people to make contingency plans for dealing with potential emergencies such as prolonged power cuts, cyber-attacks and floods.

Last year, Mr Dowden said people should stock up on ‘analog capabilities’, such as torches and wind-up radios, to boost their ‘personal resilience. He also introduced an ’emergency alert’ system, which allows authorities to trigger an alarm on millions of mobile phones to inform people of a potential crisis.

This comes after the Prime Minister warned last week that Britain had ‘some of its most dangerous years’ ahead and was at a security ‘crossroads’. Describing the threats on the rise, Rishi Sunak highlighted a new axis of anti-western states including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Among other challenges were rising immigration and artificial intelligence.

Danni from Bristol criticised the move, making reference to the “early warning system”, that wasn’t great and called on the government to build strong enough defences to protect against cyber attacks, and ensure maintenance to prevent “prolonged” power cuts, and also to stop building on flood plains, dredge the rivers and clear the drains.