Tag Archives: Fuel crisis

Boris Johnson Vows To Save Christmas (Again) And Everyone Made The Same Joke

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Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

Prime minister Boris Johnson is fighting to save Christmas…again

Boris Johnson promised the public that he was going to make sure supply chains “get through to Christmas and beyond” this year – a vow which felt very familiar to many of his critics.

The prime minister famously pledged to save Christmas last year by relaxing Covid rules for five days, only to scupper the country’s plans just before December 25 due to a spike in Covid infections.

Downing Street made a sudden U-turn on December 19, and Johnson told the public: “It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot proceed with Christmas as planned.”

London and much of south-east England was put into tier four, meaning people could only mix with their own households and support bubbles, and no-one could travel.

Other parts of England were put in tiers one to three and asked to stay local. Only three households could come together for Christmas.

In Wales, only two households could unite for Christmas Day while in Scotland it was three households up to a maximum of eight people.

Johnson’s last minute U-turn did not impress many, considering Covid infections had been rising steadily for weeks.

It’s safe to say it was not the Christmas most people had in mind – and judging from the response on Twitter, few are looking for a repeat performance from the prime minister this year.

People were quick to compare the newspaper front pages of this year to those from November last year, when the public were told “Boris battles experts to save Christmas”.

Journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera tweeted: ”Boris battling to save Xmas seems to start earlier every year.”

Another Twitter critic joked: “Boris battles to save Christmas 2…..the sequel no one wanted. But a large chunk of the electorate would probably vote for.” 

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Fuel Crisis: Chaotic Video Shows Panic-Buyer Filling Water Bottles At Petrol Station

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Videos on social media have captured the chaos unfolding on the fifth day of supposed petrol “shortages” across the UK.

While Britain’s refineries actually have plenty of fuel, a shortage of HGV drivers means the petrol is not being distribution across the country fast enough.

Fuel prices are now skyrocketing as panic-buyers drain the petrol pumps, leading to widespread complaints from drivers, particularly those working for the emergency services who can no longer do their jobs.

The Army has now been put on standby in a bid to get the supply chains working again.

But there have already been several reports – and videos – of people pouring petrol into water bottles and taking more than their fair share of fuel.

According to The Independent, one woman filled so many water bottles with petrol she caused a 30-minute queue in Cobham Services on the M25 on Saturday.

Fights are breaking out across the country as people confront one another over their petrol shortages as well.

One man is thought to have been carrying a knife on Monday when he visited a petrol station, while other people have been seen furiously arguing with one another over the limited fuel supplies over the last few days.

Outside the petrol stations which have remained fully open, queues are also stretching down the roads outside, and oil companies have imposed a £30 spending limit to ration the supplies.

Chris J Ratcliffe via Getty Images

Motorists queue for fuel at a Tesco garage in Lewisham on September 26, 2021

Ambulance drivers have complained that they are now suffering as well.

Emergency services driver Becky Hough tweeted on Friday: “To everyone that panicked and went to fuel their cars when it wasn’t needed, well done. On shift on an emergency ambulance, low on fuel and struggling to find somewhere that isn’t sold out.”

On Sunday, she wrote: “FINALLY! A BP garage that has let us use the reserves. However whilst fuelling we received verbal abuse from the public driving past, horns being honked and many hand gestures.”

Another ambulance driver also told LBC on Tuesday: “I was in the petrol queue for over an hour, and when the attendant actually saw that I was in patient transport, he let me jump the queue.

″The abuse I got yesterday was horrendous.”

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