London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Feb 08, 2026

0:00
0:00

Sunak: Ministers "doing all we can” to fix supplies for shops.

Well, this brave statement is exactly the problem and not the solution. When politicians say we're "doing all we can", it generally means - as in this case - they're doing nothing, just blowing hot air. If they were able to do something useful instead of just sweet-talking, they would find decent jobs and not disgrace themselves by spending their lives in such a shabby, low-life occupation. Sending a PR picture to the press comparing Rishi Sunak to Jesus Christ will not allow our sainted Chancellor to ascend to the next celestial level. He's still just a smarmy (if smart) politician who doesn't believe the promises he makes. Similar to Jesus: “You'll be rewarded, next life; just give me your money, this life".




In recent days, several retailers have warned of potential shortages during the Christmas shopping season.

Speaking to the BBC at the end of G7 meetings in Washington, Mr Sunak blamed global factors for delays seen at ports such as Felixstowe.

It comes as G7 finance ministers agreed to work together to address the issues.

Mr Sunak said: "I'm confident there'll be a good amount of Christmas presents available for everyone to buy."

His comments came after a container logjam at ports, including Felixstowe, and a shortage of HGV lorry drivers has sparked concerns among businesses, ahead of the most important period of the year for retail spending.

On Wednesday, the UK's largest commercial port said the supply chain crisis has caused a logjam of shipping containers.

The Port of Felixstowe, which handles 36% of the UK's freight container traffic, blamed the busy pre-Christmas period and haulage shortages.

However, it said the situation has been improving over the last few days.

Meanwhile, shipping giant Maersk told the BBC it was rerouting some of its biggest ships away from the port.

At the same time, one of biggest ports in the US will start operating 24 hours a day to try to clear long queues of cargo ships.
The Port of Los Angeles in California said it will handle more goods at night after a similar move by nearby Long Beach port.
The ports - which handle 40% of all cargo containers entering the US - have faced months of problems.

Major US firms such as Walmart and FedEx have also committed to increasing their round-the-clock operations to help clear the jam, the White House said on Wednesday.

Mr Sunak was speaking after the G7 agreed to work more closely together to monitor issues facing the movement of goods around the world.

The meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors discussed the importance of global co-operation to ensure that supply chains are more resilient as the world emerges from the pandemic.

The G7 (Group of Seven) is an organisation of the world's seven largest so-called advanced economies. They are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. Ministers and officials from the member countries hold meetings, form agreements and publish joint statements on global events.

In the BBC interview, Mr Sunak largely focused on the situation for industry in the UK - and he said he completely rejected the assertion of the head of UK Steel that the government had created a "hostile environment" for industrial investment and levelling up.

But when asked if he, as chancellor, was prepared to accept that high gas prices would put some heavy industry out of business he said he had to make sure taxpayers' money was protected and that "it's not the government's job to come in and start managing the price of every individual product".

Mr Sunak said the government would work constructively with businesses after Prime Minister Boris Johnson blamed shortages on UK firms "mainlining" migrant labour, pointing to the appointment of the former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis as a supply chain tsar.

However, the chancellor also said "everyone" including Mr Johnson accepts that increasing wages without increasing productivity would be inflationary.

He said the move to a high wage, high-skill economy advocated by Mr Johnson would "obviously take time".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Confirms Imminent Increase in ETA Fee to £20 as Entry Rules Tighten
UK Signals Possible Seizure of Russia-Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Epstein Scandal Piles Unprecedented Pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Leadership
UK’s ‘Most Romantic Village’ Celebrates Valentine’s Day and Explores the Festival’s Rich History
The Implications of Expanding Voting Rights to Non-EU Foreign Residents in France
Ghislaine Maxwell to Testify Before US Congress on February 9
Al.com Acquired by Crypto.com Founder for $70 Million
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Belgium: Man Charged with Rape After Faking Payment to Sex Worker
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
Winklevoss-Led Gemini to Slash a Quarter of Jobs and Exit European and Australian Markets
Canada Opens First Consulate in Greenland Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
NASA allows astronauts to take smartphones on upcoming missions to capture special moments.
Trump administration to launch TrumpRx.gov for direct drug purchases
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Epstein Case Documents Reignite Global Scrutiny of Political and Business Elites
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
UK Royal Family Faces Intensifying Strain as Epstein-Linked Revelations Rock the Institution
Political Censorship: French Prosecutors Raid Musk’s X Offices in Paris
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Tech Mega-Donors Power Trump-Aligned Fundraising Surge to $429 Million Ahead of 2026 Midterms
UK Pharma Watchdog Rules Sanofi Breached Industry Code With RSV Vaccine Claims Against Pfizer
Melania Documentary Opens Modestly in UK with Mixed Global Box Office Performance
Starmer Arrives in Shanghai to Promote British Trade and Investment
Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua and Premier League Stars Among UK’s Top Taxpayers
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
×