The western world was shaken Thursday as Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Sky News said, “This is the weirdest cabinet reshuffle I’ve known of.”
'This is the weirdest cabinet reshuffle I've known of'
Sky's @bethrigby weighs in on Boris Johnson's latest cabinet appointments.https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/psvhAkS2Ij
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 7, 2022
ITV reported, “Boris Johnson and Tory ministers resigning are entitled to £420,000 of severance pay, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Ellis confirms. Labour MP Rupa Huq asked if they ‘will be forfeiting their right to this? Because we do not reward failure.'”
.@BorisJohnson and Tory ministers resigning are entitled to £420,000 of severance pay, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Ellis confirms
Labour MP Rupa Huq asked if they 'will be forfeiting their right to this? Because we do not reward failure' https://t.co/mn6JfG1ogV pic.twitter.com/JFFOjE8sUZ
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) July 7, 2022
PA Media reported, “Downing Street has appointed Kit Malthouse as Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office after the Prime Minister.”
#Breaking Downing Street has appointed Kit Malthouse as Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office after the Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/NAKyioln2H
— PA Media (@PA) July 7, 2022
An article by our Lily Zhou from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times posted the background just prior to Johnson’s resignation:
Johnson to Address Nation After Reports He Will Resign
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation on Thursday, Downing Street confirmed, amid reports he will resign.
It comes as more than 53 government ministers and ministerial aides quit over Johnson’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against a former deputy chief whip.
A Downing Street spokesman said Johnson “will make a statement to the country today.”
According to the BBC, citing an unnamed source from Johnson’s office, Johnson has agreed to stand down.
In a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday morning, Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi said he, alongside other ministers, had “made clear” to Johnson in private on Wednesday that “he should leave with dignity.”
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“I am heartbroken that he hasn’t listened and that he is now undermining the incredible achievements of the government at this late hour,” Zahawi’s statement read.
Zahawi said no one would forget “getting Brexit done,” keeping Jeremy Corbyn out of government, the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its support for Ukraine, but “the country deserves a government that is not only stable, but which acts with integrity.”
“Prime Minister, you know in your heart what the right thing to do is, and go now,” the letter concluded.
New Education Secretary Resigns
By Thursday morning, at least 53 Conservative MPs had resigned from their government roles, including newly appointed Education Secretary Michelle Donelan.
Donelan was appointed on Wednesday to replace Zahawi as he had been appointed chancellor of the exchequer.
It followed the shock resignations of Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Tuesday evening, which started the snowballing of resignations.
By Thursday morning, five Cabinet ministers has resigned, including Javid, Sunak, Donelan, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, and Wales Secretary Simon Hart.
Additionally, 22 ministers, 21 parliamentary private secretaries, four trade envoys have resigned, and Conservative Party vice-chair Bim Afolami.
The mass-resignation was triggered on Tuesday after Johnson admitted that it was a “mistake” to keep former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher in government roles despite sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Downing Street stated last week that Johnson wasn’t aware of any formal complaints against Pincher, only to admit this week that the prime minister was told about an investigation and had forgotten about it.
Reading a personal statement on his resignation in Parliament on Wednesday, Javid said “enough is enough.”
He also said ministers who didn’t resign “will have their own reasons,” but “it is a choice. … Not doing something is an active decision.”
On Thursday morning, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace wrote on Twitter: “A number of us have an obligation to keep this country safe,no matter who is PM. The Party has a mechanism to change leaders and that is the mechanism which I advise colleagues to use. In the meantime, the public would not forgive us if we left these Offices of State empty.”
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
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