Andy Burnham’s campaign urging the public to prepare for emergencies risked turning awkward today after he was compelled to distance himself from Angela Rayner’s joke about storing white wine.
The PM said alcohol should not be considered a priority and stressed that people would need to keep a “clear head” during a crisis, as he faced questions about the Housing Secretary’s earlier light-hearted comments on emergency preparedness.
Treasury minister James Murray added to the levity by saying coffee was the only item he kept in significant quantities at home.
The jokes stand in sharp contrast to the stark survival checklist set out in the Government’s new official “Be Ready” guidance. It advises households to keep at least three days’ worth of food and water, as well as cash in case electronic payment systems fail.
The print-and-keep advice also recommends having a wind-up or battery-powered radio, toilet paper and baby food available.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said yesterday that the guidance was designed to help people cope with emergencies including wildfires, floods and cyberattacks. Senior officials and military figures have also warned of the potential threat of a Russian strike.
Andy Burnham said alcohol should not be considered a priority when asked about Angela Rayner’s earlier joking remarks on emergency preparations
Mr Burnham was leading a summit on wildfire risks with Ms Rayner in Liverpool as large parts of the country were hit by heavy rain from the year’s first named storm
Opponents accused the Government of delivering “bossy lectures” and fuelling public anxiety while failing to increase spending on Britain’s defence capabilities.
At last month’s Labour conference, Ms Rayner was asked what she would put in a so-called “disaster bag”.
Her response was deliberately playful: “Mascara, concealer… I don’t know, a bottle of sauvignon blanc.
“A tin of baked beans because you’ve got to have some baked beans. I like a good tin of custard as well.
“So I think that will keep me going for a while.”
Asked whether wine would feature in his own emergency supplies, Mr Burnham replied: “I’m not sure that’s at the top of the list when it comes to the advice we’re giving the public.
“You need to have a clear head when dealing with a challenging situation.
“So, yes, some tins of food and bottled water. But I’m sure people are allowed a glass or two as well to help them through a difficult situation,” he added.
Mr Burnham was chairing the wildfire summit alongside Ms Rayner in Liverpool, while heavy rain swept across much of the country as the first named storm of the year arrived.
Downing Street avoided saying whether the Prime Minister had already gathered every item on the recommended list. A spokesman said: “The Prime Minister would follow the Government’s advice as set out in the campaign.”
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Mr Murray, meanwhile, appeared to play down the checklist’s importance during a morning round of broadcast interviews, saying households were not expected to purchase every item listed.
“I’m going to look at what’s on the Government website and work out what’s right for me, because I think that’s what everyone should do,” he told Times Radio.
‘This is not about the Government sending out a shopping list to everyone in the country.’
Confronted with Ms Rayner’s previous joke, Mr Murray said he did not ‘have much need for mascara’.
‘To be honest I probably stockpile coffee at home. That’s the one thing I never run out of,’ he added.
‘I had some of that earlier this morning.’
Mr Murray repeated his line about coffee when he was challenged on whether he had stockpiled anything.
‘I’ve got quite a lot of coffee in my house,’ he said.
He added: ‘I’m not going to pretend I’ve followed all that advice myself yet.’
Mr Murray insisted the Government was trying to have a ‘sensible conversation’, arguing that other countries such as France, Ireland and the Netherlands issue similar guidance.
The minister denied the suggestion it’s ‘advice for the middle class’ who can afford to stockpile: ‘It’s advice for people to work out what they can do based on their resources, on what their needs are and how they want to approach it.
‘This is not about the Government telling people what to do. It’s about making sure everyone’s got the right information and is thinking about it ahead of time.’
Treasury minister James Murray quipped that the only thing he keeps large stores of at home is coffee
Tory frontbencher Neil O’Brien told the Daily Mail: ‘Given that the Government is failing to fund defence properly and has failed to stop dangerous people arriving on small boats, ministers might want to start focusing on the big stuff rather than ensuring they can always lay their hands on a flat white.’
Mr Streeting insisted yesterday that ‘everyone needs to do their bit’ on emergency preparation – with a radio and social media campaign set to spread the message in the coming weeks.
However, the Government seems to have taken a very low-key approach to the launch, activating the site without fanfare months after Keir Starmer’s administration signalled the campaign was coming.
Mr Streeting’s comments came at a launch for an entirely different Government announcement.