London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Fuel crisis: Boris Johnson urged to recall Parliament

Fuel crisis: Boris Johnson urged to recall Parliament

Boris Johnson should recall Parliament to pass new laws to sort out fuel and food shortages, says Labour's leader.

Sir Keir Starmer says "emergency action" is needed to speed up visas for 5,000 extra HGV drivers.

The prime minister - who will be in Manchester next week at the Tory conference - said the UK supply chain was "very resilient".

And he accused the haulage industry of being too reliant on low-paid migrant workers.

There have been long queues at petrol stations this week after a shortage of drivers disrupted fuel deliveries.

Ministers have announced a temporary visa scheme for three months until Christmas Eve to make it easier for foreign lorry drivers to work in the UK.

Asked in a BBC interview about the shortages, the prime minister said: "This Christmas will be considerably more festive than last year."

He said the UK had "very resilient supply chains" and that he would not allow the UK to repeat the "failures" of the past, by allowing mass immigration to create a "low-wage, low-skill economy" for British workers.

He accused campaign groups representing the food sector of wanting go back to a system of "unskilled, mass immigration" that people "had voted against".

"The solution is to make sure these jobs are properly paid, that we attract people into them and that we invest in automation, facilities and plant because this country has lagged behind competitors for over a decade."

Downing Street has been approached for a comment on calls for Parliament to be brought back from party conference recess to tackle the crisis.

Sir Keir told BBC News MPs should sit for "one day, maybe next week" to approve temporary visas for foreign lorry drivers.

The Labour leader said the prime minister was "burying his head in the sand"

Speaking outside a petrol station in north London, he said "at this garage there's no fuel and it's typical of garages across the country."

"The government has said we need visas. There's no sign of any visas."

He accused Mr Johnson of "burying his head in the sand" over the crisis, adding that Labour would vote for whatever legislation is needed.

The Lib Dems are also urging a recall, with the party's business spokesperson Sarah Olney saying the country can not "wait any longer for Boris Johnson to realise there is a problem to solve".

"Care workers can't get to their patients, schools buses are being cancelled, and millions of drivers are left stranded in endless queues.

"Enough is enough. If the government can't do their job, then MPs should be able to do it for them."

The SNP did not rule out backing a recall. The party's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said: "At the very least we there should be cross-party discussions this weekend.

"We're certainly in the teeth of a crisis and we would welcome an early opportunity to debate it."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×