Boris Johnson dodges blame for UK gas pump nightmare

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September 29, 2021

LITTLE THINGS scared a prime minister like an oil crisis. In his autobiography, Tony Blair recalls one in 2000 sparked by protests against fuel. The Downing Street machine was moving at an icy pace. Decisive orders were needed. I would like the army to come and if necessary drive your tankers, he recalls saying, and if they encounter any violence from the protesters, I want the police to treat them very firmly, and if not, let the army take care of them. They are very good at it.

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Where Mr Blair had protesters to rage against, Boris Johnson had to settle for erased global supply chains. The Petrol Retailers Association, a lobby group, says the fuel is now returning to the pumps. But over the past week, many Britons have been unable to fill their cars, and others have wasted hours in line to do so. While the crisis is largely the result of temporary forces outside ministerial control, it also highlights lingering problems with UK logistics and Mr Johnson’s government.

Global supply chains have been under pressure for 18 months, due to inconsistent consumption patterns caused by covid-19. An aging workforce and difficult conditions have created shortages of truck drivers across Europe. Both problems are, however, particularly acute in Great Britain. Supply chains have been strained by the filling of forms linked to Brexit. Tax adjustments have reduced the take-home pay of some truck drivers, and the number of drivers in the EU has fallen by more than 12,000, or 10% of the total.

All along, ministers insisted that there was no shortage of gasoline. The fact that rumors, which emerged from discussions of driver shortages, led to pump failure reflects two issues. One is a weary audience. In recent weeks, gasoline prices have increased and supermarket shelves have been empty. In the words of Dominic Cummings, the former Prime Minister’s adviser, The Stooges Who Trusted No.10, and Those Who Trusted The Stooges, are now out of gas.

The other is the disgusting communication of governments. Studying past energy crises, Eben Upton and William Nuttall of the University of Cambridge find that impartial dissemination of information about inventory levels can help reassure consumers. On September 24, Nadine Dorries, Secretary of Culture, tweeted, in a typical message: There is no shortage of fuel. I repeat, THERE IS NO FUEL SHORTAGE, followed by a red car emoji.

The government has disseminated little valuable information on oil stocks. His solutions paired the technocratic with the desperate. Migrant flows responded to the state of the economy, but under the post-Brexit immigration regime, they responded to ministerial diktat. The government has spent the summer resisting calls to allow more workers, insisting that companies should improve conditions and raise wages instead. Data from Indeed, a job board website, suggests they did. Heavy truck driver (HGV) driver pay increased 12.8% from February to August, compared to 1% for all jobs.

Still, the problems persisted. Under the new immigration regime, drivers are counted as low-skilled workers and are not welcome in Britain. In an attempt to reduce the pressure, the government announced on September 25 5,000 visas for truck drivers, as well as 5,500 for poultry workers (another industry in short supply). While additional workers are welcome, they won’t make a huge difference given the small number of people involved. Visas expire on Christmas Eve.

Other measures entered into force more quickly. Before leaving the EU, officials drew up a national fuel emergency plan, which offers ministers a menu of progressive options. In July, Grant Shapps, the secretary of transportation, increased the hours of work for truck drivers. On September 27, the government activated the Downstream Petroleum Protocol, which exempts companies from competition rules, allowing them to share data on shortages. Combined with the fact that there is only a limited amount of gasoline that can fit in a car fuel tank, that was enough to make the product flow again.

The military has been put on hold, with 150 troops preparing to drive tankers, but by the time The Economist went to press it had not been called into action. Given the difficult circumstances, this may not be the last time he goes on alert this winter. Indeed, Mr Johnson has pointed out the possibility of problems until Christmas and beyond. There is, however, some reassurance for the government as it faces the possibility of festive disruption. Despite a crisis partly created by its flagship policy and poorly managed by ministers, it escapes responsibility. A YouGov poll asked who was at fault. Some 23% said the government. Almost half said the media.

Corrigendum (September 30, 2021): A previous version of this article inaccurate the number of visas offered to truck drivers, and the date they were announced. Sorry.

A first version of this article was published online on September 29, 2021

This article appeared in the Great Britain section of the print edition under the title “Running on empty”

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