Lack of petrol at gas stations. The army called for reinforcement. Removed supermarket shelves. Pig farmers are afraid to kill their animals due to the lack of butchers …
This is a particularly exciting week in the UK. But Boris Johnson chose to boycott the gray areas at the Conservative Party’s annual convention in Manchester, which ended Thursday — the first face-off since 2019.
In a speech without firm announcements, instead, the Prime Minister drew a positive portrait of the situation, reassuring the growing economy despite the current crisis.
The 57-year-old conservative leader said the country was moving towards an “economy with higher wages, higher capabilities, higher productivity and lower taxes”, while refining his new slogan: Equalizing (“Update”).
He acknowledged that the road was long and “sometimes difficult,” but the British voted in the Brexit referendum in 2016 to re-elect him by a majority in “2019”.
This is a typical Boris Johnson talk. He ignored any existing issues and called on people to look ahead and tell them how much confidence he had in the British spirit that everything would be alright.
Steven Fielding, Professor of Political History at the University of Nottingham
“He gave a great show, the expert says. But he walks in very thin snow …”
Army reinforcements
The last few weeks have been marked by petrol and diesel supply problems in the UK.
Last Monday, about 200 soldiers were called in to drive trucks and fill up petrol pumps, mostly in the south of England, as troubled motorists entered gas stations.
Photo provided by the United Kingdom Division of Defense via France-Press Agency
A short training session on the key features of a tank truck on October 4th
Problem: Lack of lorries going on for months due to combined effects of Govit-19 and Brexit.
The locks have prompted many European drivers to return to their home countries, while Brexit complicates the migration procedures for foreign workers seeking to immigrate to the UK. According to experts, the country will need about 100,000 extra trucks to “roll”.
The issue also affects supermarkets, fast food restaurants, liquor stores and bicycle dealers, those affected by late deliveries and declining stocks.
The meat sector has also been particularly affected, with 15,000 butchers missing, leading to the killing of 120,000 pigs in the coming days, according to the Farmers Association.
More than 600 people are said to have been killed in the past week.
“Huge, but empty”
In spite of everything, Boris Johnson stood firm and signed. He continues to defend the continued tightening of immigration rules enforced from Brexit, albeit to some extent responsible for the crisis.
According to him, the country should return to the “old broken system” on the basis of “low wages, low growth, low qualifications”. He promised that “unrestricted immigration” would not return to the same level as before the divorce from the European Union.
As a solution to the manpower shortage, Johnson urged British companies to “raise wages” to attract local workers rather than rely on immigration. Comments that economic circles have reacted with suspicion.
Business leaders have warned that the solution could lead to higher inflation, and ultimately consumers will have to pay the price.
Richard Walker, managing director of the Icelandic supermarket chain, accused the government of treating companies such as “sponges” when they could not “absorb” all cost increases, especially from bills to energy bills. Hiring extra heavy truck drivers
The Adam Smith Institute, a think tank, called Boris Johnson’s speech “bombshell, but meaningless and economically ignorant.”
Artificial paradise
Boris Johnson has been browsing for months about the success of his Govt-19 vaccination campaign, while 67% of the population has been fully vaccinated. He is also supported by the majority of Britons who voted for Brexit, and continues to adhere to strong British discourse because it is highly sovereign.
But according to Christopher Stafford, it only takes some time to catch up with “Bojo”.
The next few months will be an interesting test because the problems in the UK are likely to get worse before they get better.
Christopher Stafford, Professor of Politics at the University of Nottingham
“It will be a tough winter, especially for the working classes, and Johnson is indebted to his 2019 re-election,” he adds. It will be interesting to see if Boris Johnson’s rhetoric works, as people are actually beginning to realize the effects of government cuts on food shortages, business closures and social spending. ”
“People who voted for Johnson still give him the benefit of the doubt,” concludes Steven Fielding.
“They think Brexit has nothing to do with the country’s problems. This situation is temporary. It is a global phenomenon. [dû à la COVID-19]. They live in an artificial paradise. They can change their minds when they see things not going right … ”
With Agencies France-Press
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