The Prime Minister has personally overseen confidential government contingency planning for potential supermarket disruption stemming from the Iran conflict, with ministers defending the leaked preparations as responsible governance rather than cause for alarm.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle confirmed Keir Starmer has been directly involved in the scenario exercises since their inception, contrasting the approach with Boris Johnson’s absence from early Covid-19 emergency meetings. Kyle told Times Radio that whilst the disclosure was “very unhelpful,” the public should feel “reassured” that such forward planning is occurring.
“The Prime Minister has been there since the very start, and he is going through personally and driving deep dives into lots of areas of resilience throughout our economy,” Kyle stated, acknowledging his presence in the classified sessions.
The Times disclosed that senior Whitehall figures from Number 10, the Treasury and Ministry of Defence have secretly rehearsed industrial impact scenarios under the codename “Exercise Turnstone,” examining how prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could affect British supply chains.
The strategic waterway remains blocked by Tehran and patrolled by US naval forces intercepting Iranian vessels, with the latest peace negotiations having collapsed and a temporary ceasefire expiring on April 22. Analysts warn renewed hostilities could trigger carbon dioxide shortages, a critical component in food production processes.
Officials have indicated that whilst severe scarcity is not anticipated, the variety of products stocked by retailers may be constrained. Chicken and pork have been identified amongst items potentially facing supply pressures due to CO2 dependency in processing and packaging operations.
Kyle referenced his decision months earlier to reverse the mothballing of the Ensus bio-ethanol facility in Teesside specifically to safeguard carbon dioxide availability, characterising it as evidence the government has acted “with creativity and boldness” behind the scenes.
The minister insisted CO2 supplies currently pose no economic threat, urging Britons to “go on as they are, enjoying beer, enjoying their meats, enjoying all the salads.” He pledged transparency should circumstances deteriorate, emphasising his willingness to forewarn the public to enable preparation.
Kyle highlighted diverse applications for carbon dioxide beyond food production, including MRI scanning, water purification, civil nuclear power operations and defence purposes, explaining why he prioritised the issue six months previously rather than reacting belatedly.
“People should be reassured that we are doing this kind of action behind the scenes to keep resilience in our economy,” he told Sky News, as the Middle East situation continues evolving.
