London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

UK PM rejects claims Britain is set for a 1970s-style inflationary spiral amid labour shortages & supply chain crisis

UK PM rejects claims Britain is set for a 1970s-style inflationary spiral amid labour shortages & supply chain crisis

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dismissed fears of a 1970s-style inflationary crisis due to labour shortages and a supply chain crisis, arguing that these were expected as part of the post-Covid “stresses and strains.”
Speaking during the Conservative Party’s annual conference, being held in Manchester, Johnson defended his government’s actions amid mounting criticism over the current situation, which has seen fuel stations run dry amid panic buying, and shops across the country with empty shelves, as deliveries are disrupted.

While industry officials have argued that the current problems, caused by staff shortages and supply chain issues, are due to a mixture of Covid and UK’s exit from the EU, the prime minister focused his blame solely on the impact of the global pandemic. Asked what was behind the current issues, Johnson stated it was the “stresses and strains that you'd expect from a giant waking up” post-Covid.

Rejecting the suggestion that the UK could be returning to a 1970s-style situation, where inflation hit 22.6%, Johnson stated, “I don't think that the problem will present itself in that way,” before adding “this country's natural ability to sort out its logistics and supply chains is very strong.”

The UK government has walked back its immigration policy in response to the current problems facing the nation, offering temporary visas for some sectors, including 5,000 delivery drivers, to plug the gaps that exist in industries. However, only 127 applications have been made so far for those visas, according to the government, which the prime minister argued shows this is a “global shortage,” not just an issue facing the UK.

As well as blaming the impact of the pandemic, the PM also criticised the UK road haulage industry for failing to create an attractive market that draws in a new generation of drivers, claiming the lack of investment in better conditions and pay has left young people not wanting to become truck drivers.

The lack of HGV drivers in the UK has forced the government to deploy the army to help petrol stations address a fuel shortage that, at one point, saw 90% of filling stations run dry, with long queues leaving motorists waiting hours to top up their cars. Operation Escalin, a contingency plan established to provide fuel in the event of shortages, is underway, with 200 service members having provided fuel on Monday to help forecourt stocks “stabilise.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×