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On 26 September, a customer pushed over a station worker at a petrol station in [[Belsize Park|Belsize]] and assaulted and racially abused the owner.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bryne|first=Finn|date=28 September 2021|title=UK petrol shortage: Video shows moped-riding thug shove North London petrol station worker to the ground|work=MyLondon|url=https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/uk-petrol-shortage-video-shows-21696142|access-date=28 September 2021|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928172728/https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/uk-petrol-shortage-video-shows-21696142|url-status=live}}</ref>
On 26 September, a customer pushed over a station worker at a petrol station in [[Belsize Park|Belsize]] and assaulted and racially abused the owner.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bryne|first=Finn|date=28 September 2021|title=UK petrol shortage: Video shows moped-riding thug shove North London petrol station worker to the ground|work=MyLondon|url=https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/uk-petrol-shortage-video-shows-21696142|access-date=28 September 2021|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928172728/https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/uk-petrol-shortage-video-shows-21696142|url-status=live}}</ref>

An ambulance responding to an emergency call crashed into a car in [[Bromley]] when attempting to pass the cars blocking traffic while queuing for a Shell petrol station. The ambulance was temporarily put out of service while another ambulance was dispatched to deal with the patient.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wadhera|first=Celine|date=27 September 2021|title=Ambulance crashes into car waiting for fuel in large petrol station queue|work=[[The Independent]]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ambulance-crash-petrol-station-fuel-b1927272.html|access-date=1 October 2021|archive-date=1 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001103844/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ambulance-crash-petrol-station-fuel-b1927272.html|url-status=live}}</ref>


A [[truck stop]] in [[Portsmouth]] had 30,000 litres of diesel, worth approximately £45,000, stolen from their fuel tankers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-58732635|title=Portsmouth truck stop has 30,000 litres of diesel stolen|work=BBC News|date=29 September 2021}}</ref> There have also been multiple reports of fuel being stolen from parked vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19618353.orpington-mum-petrol-tank-sawed-fuel-stolen-car/|title = Orpington mum has petrol tank sawed and fuel stolen from car|date=2 October 2021|work=News Shopper}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/lincolnshire-lorry-driver-full-tank-5998910|title = Lorry driver has full tank of fuel siphoned from tank as he slept|work=Lincolnshire Live|date = 1 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/petrol-shortages-thieves-steal-fuel-25085264|title = Thieves 'steal fuel from parked cars' as panic petrol buying continues|work=Daily Mirror|date = 27 September 2021}}</ref>
A [[truck stop]] in [[Portsmouth]] had 30,000 litres of diesel, worth approximately £45,000, stolen from their fuel tankers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-58732635|title=Portsmouth truck stop has 30,000 litres of diesel stolen|work=BBC News|date=29 September 2021}}</ref> There have also been multiple reports of fuel being stolen from parked vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19618353.orpington-mum-petrol-tank-sawed-fuel-stolen-car/|title = Orpington mum has petrol tank sawed and fuel stolen from car|date=2 October 2021|work=News Shopper}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/lincolnshire-lorry-driver-full-tank-5998910|title = Lorry driver has full tank of fuel siphoned from tank as he slept|work=Lincolnshire Live|date = 1 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/petrol-shortages-thieves-steal-fuel-25085264|title = Thieves 'steal fuel from parked cars' as panic petrol buying continues|work=Daily Mirror|date = 27 September 2021}}</ref>

Revision as of 19:42, 11 October 2021

Queues for fuel at a north London Esso service station 27 September 2021
Queues for fuel at a north London Esso service station 27 September 2021

In September 2021, panic buying of petrol and diesel fuel by consumers in the United Kingdom caused serious disruption to the supply of road fuel. The panic buying was said to be caused by media reports of a leaked government briefing discussing the shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers. Some analysts and politicians linked the driver shortage to Brexit, whilst others blamed the COVID-19 pandemic, or their combined impact. Although the UK did not have a shortage of fuel, the panic buying of fuel combined with supply chain issues caused by the HGV driver shortage led to many petrol stations to run out of fuel.

Problem

In September 2021, Great Britain suffered a fuel supply shortage after news reports of an ongoing lack of HGV drivers spurred panic buying of petrol.[1][2] Forecourts in Northern Ireland were not affected.[3][4]

By 26 September 2021, BP, which operates 1,200 stations in the United Kingdom, estimated that 30% of their sites did not have either of the main grades of fuel.[5] On 27 September, Reuters reported that 50 to 90% of fuel stations in some regions of England had run dry due to panic buying.[6][7]

Businesses involved in the fuel industry said in a joint statement on 29 September that they were "now seeing signs that the situation at the pumps has begun to improve".[8] The chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association said in a radio interview on 2 October that the situation was improving in Scotland, the North of England and parts of the Midlands but worsening in the South East of England and London.[9][10] On the following day, the organisation issued a statement stating that "The fuel is still not going to the pumps that need it most in London and the South East... [but the] crisis is virtually at an end in Scotland, the North and Midlands". 22% of stations in London and the South East remained without fuel and 40% were lacking one of the main fuel grades.[11] By October, some garage owners believed the remaining supply issues were no longer linked to panic buying. On 4 October, the Petrol Retailers Association said some forecourts in South East England had been without fuel for a week.[12]

Easing measures

No fuel at a north London Shell service station 28 September 2021

In 2011 the British Government published guidance for energy emergency planning and priority fuel allocation, listing 10 schemes which could be implemented in the event of a fuel supply or demand issue.[13]

Due to problems with the supply chain in January 2021 the relaxation of drivers' hours had already implemented earlier in the year and subsequently extended to October so this remedy was already in place when panic started.[14]

On 26 September UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng initiated the 1st of these 10 actions and announced the oil industry will be exempted from the Competition Act 1998 so that companies can coordinate and deliver petroleum products easier in light of fuel shortages brought on by panic buying.[15]

Some forecourt operators have chosen to ration their supplies or close entirely.[citation needed]

A number of military tanker drivers were placed on standby to be deployed if deemed necessary.[16]

On 29 September, Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted that the Reserve Tanker fleet which consists of 80 vehicles would be released on that afternoon.[17][18] A week after the panic buying had started, getting petrol in the South East of England was still a problem, although the situation had improved in the north and the Midlands.[19][20]

On 2 October it was announced that the army would start to deliver fuel to filling stations on Monday 4 October. Foreign tanker drivers will be allowed into the UK temporarily until the end of March 2022.[21]

Causes

The fuel supply problems and panic buying have been widely debated in the media, with the causes attributed to a range of possible triggers.

Media coverage

Empty Sainsbury's filling station in Ashford, Kent, October 2021

Multiple sources have stated that an industry task force meeting took place on Zoom on 16 September where BP fuel stock levels were discussed. It has been alleged that the notes from this meeting were then passed to ITV who reported on the contents of the meeting.[22][23][24] The chair of the Petrol Association has blamed the leaking of the information about BP stock levels for the panic.[25] On 26 September, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, accused road haulage associations of purposefully briefing the information to the media to help bolster their arguments for more European drivers stating: "I know that they're desperate to have more European drivers undercutting British salaries, I know that's been their ask all along."[26] The Road Haulage Association has denied these allegations.[27]

Brexit

Further information: Predicted impact of Brexit

Former chief negotiator EU to the UK Michel Barnier,[28] Candidate for Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz,[29] French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune,[30] and Deputy Leader of Ireland Leo Varadkar,[31] linked the crisis to Brexit – the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Former Conservative MP Anna Soubry and Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy also suggested Brexit was a factor. On the other hand, Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, had said that driver shortage was a problem in Europe, and that Brexit had helped the UK to "provide a solution".[29] However, Shapps later admitted that Brexit had been "a factor".[32]

The Grocer trade magazine reported a loss of 12,500 EU drivers from the UK before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, around 18% of the overall shortfall of 70,000 HGV drivers in Britain. It concluded that the post-Brexit immigration changes were not significantly to blame for the crisis, citing retirement, the lack of driving tests during the pandemic lockdown, and changes in taxation as major causes.[33] BBC News also noted a fall of 25,000 drivers passing HGV driver tests between 2019 and 2020 and changes to IR35 tax rules which made it more expensive for EU drivers to work in the UK.[34] ITV News also cited high rates of attrition in haulage firm staffing.[35]

Industry commentators have noted that despite driver shortages, EU countries have not experienced supply problems to petrol station forecourts, and this has been attributed to the greater flexibility of labour deployment and cabotage within the European Single Market.[36][29] According to the BBC, the market research organisation Transport Intelligence found significant HGV shortages in Poland and Germany, but noted that these countries were able to rely on a Europe-wide pool of labour to mitigate for these shortages.[34] Richard Burnett, CEO of the Road Haulage Association expressed the view that the driver shortage could only be solved by "access to temporary foreign labour in the short term to recruit a UK-based workforce for the longer term".[35]

COVID-19 pandemic

BBC News Online noted that the COVID-19 pandemic was one of a number of key causes for the shortfall of HGV drivers, and noted that the lockdown had contributed to a significant fall in the number of candidates passing HGV driver tests.[34][37] Members of Parliament Lucy Allan and Philip Dunne identified the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as a cause.[38]

Media coverage

BBC reporter Phil McCann went viral after reporting the story from Stockport on BBC Breakfast as his name was thought to be amusingly appropriate.[39]

On 27 September, comedian Munya Chawawa posted a parody of the song "Too Close" by Blue, with the lyrics of the song changed to reflect the events of the crisis. The lyrics to the chorus were changed to: "Britain’s panic buying/Petrol pumps are dying/Said Brexit would be fine and turns out they were lying/Fuel is running real low/ Need European blokes/ To come through in their HGVs”.[40]

As a result of the government response to the panic buying, an Evening Standard opinion poll placed the leader of the opposition Keir Starmer as equally popular as the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. This is the first time that a Labour Party leader has matched the Conservative Party since 2008.[41]

Incidents

An incident took place at a petrol station in Welling, south east London where a car passenger pulled out a knife on a driver who had allegedly tried to jump the queue.[42]

On 26 September, a customer pushed over a station worker at a petrol station in Belsize and assaulted and racially abused the owner.[43]

An ambulance responding to an emergency call crashed into a car in Bromley when attempting to pass the cars blocking traffic while queuing for a Shell petrol station. The ambulance was temporarily put out of service while another ambulance was dispatched to deal with the patient.[44]

A truck stop in Portsmouth had 30,000 litres of diesel, worth approximately £45,000, stolen from their fuel tankers.[45] There have also been multiple reports of fuel being stolen from parked vehicles.[46][47][48]

See also

References

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  2. ^ Sheppard, David (27 September 2021). "Boris Johnson prepares to call in army as panic buying drains UK petrol pumps". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  3. ^ Landler, Mark (28 September 2021). "The U.K.'s Gas Crisis Is a Brexit Crisis, Too". The New York Times. London. ISSN 1553-8095. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Fuel supply: No issues in Northern Ireland, industry body says". BBC News. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  5. ^ James, William (26 September 2021). "BP says nearly a third of its UK fuel stations running on empty". Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  6. ^ Faulconbridge, Guy; Smout, Alistair (27 September 2021). "Fuel pumps run dry in British cities, sowing supply chain chaos". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  7. ^ Gross, Jenny (28 September 2021). "Britain's Gas Crisis, Explained". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
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  22. ^ Hills, Joel (23 September 2021). "HGV driver shortage: BP poised to ration fuel deliveries amid supply problems". ITV News. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  23. ^ Ferguson, Emily; Wood, Poppy (27 September 2021). "Petrol boss hopeful fuel crisis 'over by end of the week' after claims 90% of UK stations have run dry". i. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  24. ^ Rayner, Gordon (26 September 2021). "Haulage body with anti-Brexit drive was behind fuel crisis leak, claim No 10 sources". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  25. ^ Bloch, Ben (27 September 2021). "BP fuel document leak as 40,000 HGV applications 'sit on desk'". BristolLive. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  26. ^ "Fuel supply crisis: Grant Shapps blames haulage group for creating 'manufactured situation' as pump chaos continues". Sky News. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
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  36. ^ Waterfield, Bruno (29 September 2021). "EU single market avoids supply problems". The Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  37. ^ Plummer, Robert (28 September 2021). "Shortage problem: What's the UK running low on and why?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  38. ^ Robertson, Dominic (28 September 2021). "MPs say lockdown is behind fuel shortage at petrol stations". Shropshire Star. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  39. ^ Karla Adam (25 September 2021). "What's funny about Britain's gas shortage? When the reporter's name is Phil McCann". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  40. ^ Evans, Greg (27 September 2021). "Comedian Munya Chawawa gives Blue song hilarious makeover with his take on fuel crisis". i. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  41. ^ "Keir Starmer level with Boris Johnson in poll as fuel crisis bites". Financial Times. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
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  43. ^ Bryne, Finn (28 September 2021). "UK petrol shortage: Video shows moped-riding thug shove North London petrol station worker to the ground". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  44. ^ Wadhera, Celine (27 September 2021). "Ambulance crashes into car waiting for fuel in large petrol station queue". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  45. ^ "Portsmouth truck stop has 30,000 litres of diesel stolen". BBC News. 29 September 2021.
  46. ^ "Orpington mum has petrol tank sawed and fuel stolen from car". News Shopper. 2 October 2021.
  47. ^ "Lorry driver has full tank of fuel siphoned from tank as he slept". Lincolnshire Live. 1 October 2021.
  48. ^ "Thieves 'steal fuel from parked cars' as panic petrol buying continues". Daily Mirror. 27 September 2021.
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