UK BP ESSO Fuel Tanker Driver Crisis What Crisis
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2021/09/25/667272/UK-fuel-crisis
News / The Debate
UK fuel crisis
Saturday, 25 September 2021
In this edition, SPOTLIGHT interviews Keith Pilbeam, author and professor of international economics out of London and Tony Gosling investigative journalist from Bristol to look at fuel crisis in UK at a time it joins queue of avoidable blunders raising questions about Tory governments competence. UK PM poised to introduce temporary visas to resolve mounting crisis caused by shortage of lorry drivers.
Grant Shapps accuses haulage firms of 'manufacturing' fuel crisis by warning of driver shortages and insists there is 'PLENTY' of petrol - despite fears 'catastrophic' panic-buying will get WORSE
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10029801/Grant-Shapps-accuses-haulage-firms-manufacturing-fuel-crisis.html
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today said that the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' by haulage firms
Mr Shapps said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to 'fill up when you normally would'
Government has unveiled plans for 5,000 temporary visas for HGV drivers in bid to ease shortfall of 90,000
Retail experts have warned that the 'catastrophic' panic-buying situation will get worse before it gets better
By JACK MAIDMENT, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE
Grant Shapps today claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages.
The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'.
He said the rush to forecourts which has seen lengthy queues at stations across the country 'will come to an end' because soon 'everyone's cars will be more or less filled up'.
Mr Shapps said the chaos is a 'manufactured situation' in comments likely to spark fury among retailers and transport bosses.
It came as experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as the nation faces a 'catastrophic situation'.
Grant Shapps today claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages
The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would' +6
The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'
Sir Keir Starmer today called for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be granted visas to come to the UK as he blasted the Government's handling of the fuel crisis.
Ministers have announced a temporary visa scheme that will see 5,000 HGV drivers allowed to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve.
But Sir Keir said 'we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas' amid reports that the shortfall of drivers is north of 90,000.
The Labour leader said that 'for a long time we have known there is a problem' and it was 'predicted' the situation would get worse after Brexit.
He said the Government was guilty of a 'complete lack of planning' as he suggested he would also grant permission for EU workers to come to the UK to take jobs in other industries struggling with recruitment like hospitality and food processing.
The shortage of HGV drivers has hit the nation's fuel network while retailers have warned the Government that it has just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' amid pressure on the food supply chain.
Ministers want firms to hire and train British workers to fill HGV vacancies, with the 5,000 visas viewed as a short term fix.
But Sir Keir said the Government must go much further to avoid prolonged chaos this winter.
He said: 'On the HGV situation, we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas.
'I am astonished that the Government, knowing the situation is not acting today. 'The Prime Minister needs to say today what he is going to do. There are 100,000 vacancies for drivers.'
Asked directly if he would bring in 100,000 foreign drivers if he was prime minister, Sir Keir said: 'We are going to have to do that. We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.'
The Government has announced plans to offer 5,000 three-month visas to foreign lorry drivers in a short term bid to ease pressure on supply chains.
The announcement came after scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations as the shortage of fuel tanker drivers forced some retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.
The British Retail Consortium and the British Chambers of Commerce criticised the scope of the measures set out by the Government which were seen by some as a step back from Boris Johnson's stated ambition to
