MoD stockpiles food and supplies in Brexit ‘no deal’ contingency move

Britain has begun stockpiling food, fuel, spare parts and ammunition at military bases in Gibraltar, Cyprus and the Falklands in case of a no-deal Brexit, Sky News revealed at the weekend.

Extra supplies are also being built up at bases in the UK to reduce the risk of the armed forces running short and being unable to operate if it suddenly becomes much harder to import and export day-to-day goods after March 29.

Any blockage in the flow of food and other vital items to Britain's military bases overseas could impact on operations and affect thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen.

“The Ministry of Defence routinely undertakes contingency planning, and it is absolutely right that the government ensures we are prepared and resourced for a range of scenarios when we leave the EU,” an MoD spokesman told the broadcaster.

“We are working closely with industry partners, key suppliers and across government to ensure that essential defence tasks would not be affected by a no-deal Brexit.”

The spokesman added: “As part of wider contingency planning, we have forward-purchased a limited range of general commodities to ensure we can continue to function in the event of any supply chain disruption.”