Thread by @thetimes

A year ago, Boris Johnson claimed to be battling Covid-19 to “save Christmas”. Now he is facing a multi-fronted shortage crisis that industry leaders say raises the prospect of scaled-down dinners as demand surges in the festive season thetimes.co.uk/article/fuel-a…

Rising gas prices, a lack of skilled meatpackers and the shortage of HGV drivers now threatens to result in a food shortage

As the army prepares to start driving fuel tankers, a spectacular row has erupted in Whitehall between business leaders and ministers over who is to blame

Industry accuses the government of failing to listen to months of warnings, while ministers take to the airwaves to express absolute confidence that all will be fine.

Supply shortages have knock-on effects on other areas.

In a worrying trend for Christmas and retailers struggling to get back on their feet after the pandemic, consumer products are affected.

Construction is suffering from issues in getting raw materials.

Most motorists in the UK are already aware of the problems with getting petrol at the moment, but carmakers are also struggling to get all the parts they need.

Even well before the Christmas season, we’re already seeing shelf shortages.

Rod McKenzie, managing director of the Road Haulage Association, said that a promise by ministers a week ago of three-month visas for 5,000 drivers, “simply does not work.”

Another major retail boss was blunter: “5,000 drivers is pissing in the wind.”

Ministers say they have been working since the spring on problems such as speeding up HGV testing, the true failure has been the industry’s reluctance to plan to end its reliance on cheap labour
thetimes.co.uk/article/fuel-a…

The head of the Food and Drink Federation said that when businesses first raised problems at Easter, ministers only wanted to talk about Covid and Brexit transition. “There was also a degree of scepticism about what we were saying. Remember most politicians never go shopping.”