Prime minister advises three days' supplies as storms and cyber-attacks bite

The prime minister has advised people to stock up on tinned food and bottled water to be prepared for emergencies. With storms battering the UK and in the wake of online disruption caused by a major security flaw, Andy Burnham said "unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common".

The government has drawn up recommendations for households to hold three days' worth of bottled water and tinned food to deal with a crisis such as a war, an online attack or a natural disaster. Defending the advice, Burnham suggested people should also be allowed "a glass or two" of wine to get them through a difficult situation. At Labour's conference last month, the housing secretary, Angela Rayner, joked that her emergency box would include a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

Burnham said: "I'm not sure that that's the top of the list in terms of the advice that we're giving to the public. You need to have a clear head when it comes to a challenging situation. So some tins of food, some bottled water, I think maybe. But I'm sure people are allowed a glass or two as well, to get them through a difficult situation."

Last month, the National Audit Office warned that Britain's food supply chain is at risk given the growing threat of cyber-attacks and the climate crisis, and said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had not done enough in recent years to improve resilience. The chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents firms transporting temperature-controlled foods, also told the BBC that the UK is being targeted by Russian cyber-hackers who "know that there are pinch points in the food supply system".

Speaking at a wildfire resilience summit in Liverpool, Burnham denied the government had failed to prepare properly. "No, we're having the conversation with people about being better prepared because we're living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common," he said. "Obviously, weather events, and we're in a situation today where the UK is facing storms and obviously, we feel for the people without power in Cornwall right now. It is just having those supplies in the house to get you through those moments. So we are having that conversation about resilience."

A checklist drawn up by the government recommends nine litres of water per person — enough for three days — along with non-perishable food such as tinned meat and vegetables or dried fruit. It suggests an FM radio, either battery-powered or wind-up; during a national crisis the BBC would prioritise broadcasting news as well as health and safety information, and in the event of a severe power cut FM radio would be the best way to receive those updates. The list also includes hand sanitiser, wet wipes and toiletries, food for pets, supplies for babies, a torch, blankets, a charged power bank, cash in case payment systems collapse, a first aid kit and copies of important documents.

Earlier, the Treasury minister James Murray told BBC Breakfast that he had not yet followed the guidance. He said he had a stockpile of coffee, but pointed out that neighbouring countries including Ireland, France and the Netherlands had given the same advice "for quite a long time". He added: "I'm not going to pretend I've followed all that advice myself yet."

Speaking on the same programme, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said she was "stocked up for the week at any time". She said the previous Conservative government had issued similar advice, but added: "What I'm more concerned about is that it doesn't look like [the government] are explaining what the risks we are under are, and what they are doing about the big things. Families can stock up but what's going on with defence, the cyber attacks, the hybrid warfare? The money to look after the country has not been forthcoming."