Eight million Britons unable to buy essential food items in last fortnight(news.sky.com)
news.sky.com
Eight million Britons unable to buy essential food items in last fortnight
https://news.sky.com/story/food-shortages-eight-million-britons-unable-to-buy-essential-food-items-in-last-fortnight-ons-survey-suggests-12429058
52 comments
- protest can be very effectively suppressed
- media remain in favour of the government (and will do all the way down)
- incredibly weak opposition
- no organizing locus outside of media and opposition
- no tradition of mainland political violence
- not actually that bad
- if the UK can shrug off 138k deaths from COVID, and the ongoing crisis of foodbanks, we can shrug this off too
- media remain in favour of the government (and will do all the way down)
- incredibly weak opposition
- no organizing locus outside of media and opposition
- no tradition of mainland political violence
- not actually that bad
- if the UK can shrug off 138k deaths from COVID, and the ongoing crisis of foodbanks, we can shrug this off too
I think a weariness about Brexit and politics in general too.
When the newspaper says "unable to buy essential food items", they just mean that there was some items out of stock, not that there was no food in the shop.
If there's no beef today, you can still buy something else.
If there's no beef today, you can still buy something else.
People were willing to accept this for Brexit happening. It has been made clear shortages were going to happen, it's been made clear voters expect it. It's no surprise there is no anger it has been expected.
Yes, most people voted to leave so were convinced by the arguments of the Leave side who vehemently denied anything like this would happen.
Honest question: wasn't this whole debacle considered as a possible outcome prior to Brexit? Surely someone in the government must have said "hey this whole thing could end up like this, maybe we should talk about that."
What am I missing? Did something unexpected happen with Brexit? Or is this fueled by the pandemic?
What am I missing? Did something unexpected happen with Brexit? Or is this fueled by the pandemic?
Basically every report said this would happen, the government dismissed it as 'project fear' and still refuses to admin that it has anything to do with brexit.
I'm sure it was brought up internally in the government, but they won the election by promising to deliver sunshine and rainbows brexit even though they had no way of doing so. Addressing it before it became a problem would've looked bad, so they didn't, and the pandemic provided a convenient excuse.
I'm sure it was brought up internally in the government, but they won the election by promising to deliver sunshine and rainbows brexit even though they had no way of doing so. Addressing it before it became a problem would've looked bad, so they didn't, and the pandemic provided a convenient excuse.
It's a great question. Of course it was widely considered. This should come as a surprise to nobody. And yet, here we are.
You might ask the same question about Trump. Surely someone in charge - someone with authority - should have seen the trainwreck a mile off, and done something about it?
The shocking truth is that there's no one with both common sense and overriding authority that prevents catastrophic wrong turns. This was absolutely an expected outcome of Brexit, by anyone with a clue. The trouble is that half the general population doesn't have a clue. Why did the government ask them? Because the party in charge at the time had a splinter faction led by some very radical, very loud voices, and it was beginning to cost them votes. They hoped to put the issue to bed by calling a referendum. Having done so, it was political suicide not to follow through even though it wasn't technically "binding".
Largely it's a matter of various people acting in their own selfish best interest at the expense of the interests of the country, and convincing a bunch of useful idiots to follow along.
You might ask the same question about Trump. Surely someone in charge - someone with authority - should have seen the trainwreck a mile off, and done something about it?
The shocking truth is that there's no one with both common sense and overriding authority that prevents catastrophic wrong turns. This was absolutely an expected outcome of Brexit, by anyone with a clue. The trouble is that half the general population doesn't have a clue. Why did the government ask them? Because the party in charge at the time had a splinter faction led by some very radical, very loud voices, and it was beginning to cost them votes. They hoped to put the issue to bed by calling a referendum. Having done so, it was political suicide not to follow through even though it wasn't technically "binding".
Largely it's a matter of various people acting in their own selfish best interest at the expense of the interests of the country, and convincing a bunch of useful idiots to follow along.
Your example citing Trump’s trainwreck makes zero sense in this context. His record on the economy was impressively effective even if his social policies floundered.
Wait, running a huge deficit spending program in a booming economy boosts that economy even more?
Is that really considered "impressively effective" these days? I don't think so. It's bad governance.
Is that really considered "impressively effective" these days? I don't think so. It's bad governance.
Singling out Trump a bit here?
Bush did it. Obama did it, while slowing down economic recovery Trump did it. Biden is doing it, and the economy is stagnating.
Looking farther back, every president since before FDR allowed debt to increase, although it wasn't really until the welfare state kicked in the 70s and 80s that we started hockey sticking.
It's hilarious to pin _all_ of that on Trump.
Bush did it. Obama did it, while slowing down economic recovery Trump did it. Biden is doing it, and the economy is stagnating.
Looking farther back, every president since before FDR allowed debt to increase, although it wasn't really until the welfare state kicked in the 70s and 80s that we started hockey sticking.
It's hilarious to pin _all_ of that on Trump.
Trump was a fucking disaster and the idea that he had much of anything to do with the economy doing well during that time is pretty childish
dTal(2)
What record on the economy? Pointless sanctions? Ballooning deficit? The stock market going up for portions of his presidency (Which is never something you should attribute to individual presidents during their time in office anyway)?
"essential"? So they're dead now, since they couldn't acquire these things. Bollocks
From what I understand people were willing to go through this for Brexit to happen. Supply chain issues were pretty much a given.
> From what I understand people were willing to go through this for Brexit to happen.
Well, some people. And even then, this wasn't brought up by the Leave campaign - they were all sun-lit uplands, etc. Nothing negative would come from Brexit! etc.etc.
Well, some people. And even then, this wasn't brought up by the Leave campaign - they were all sun-lit uplands, etc. Nothing negative would come from Brexit! etc.etc.
49% didn't want it to happen though. At least they would be mad, right?
Yep quite rightly!
Yes. We are! :)
I’m not familiar with the UK, but were the people formerly doing these jobs from somewhere outside of England? Id that’s the case I’m assuming they were being paid sub par wages and no one else would do it for that wage.
Almost certainly.
Now, if it comes to a choice between sharply increasing wages plus a crash training programme for HGV drivers, or doing nothing and letting the shelves empty, guess which one is going to happen ..
Now, if it comes to a choice between sharply increasing wages plus a crash training programme for HGV drivers, or doing nothing and letting the shelves empty, guess which one is going to happen ..
yeah bro only eastern europeans can drive trucks we totally can't increase wages now or before brexit came into effect to get more supply the only option is mass immigration
Politics and economy don't always agree. The government promised higher wages for domestic work force, but the companies aren't willing to pay for that promise. That's why we have these "shortages" of things. It's a game between the economy and the politics to see who caves first.
Except they are willing, since fruit pickers and truck drivers were being offered £60k+ even a few weeks ago. So it's just a time lag until all the jobs are filled next.
Although I want to see higher wages for the bottom of the economy I personally dislike minimum wages because politicians basically promise something that they have no control over and they don't have any long term solutions to problems in the labor market.
Yeah the $7.50 minimum wage is laughably small but the next minimum wage has to be laughably small as well. If it was $50 then it would wreck the economy.
Yeah the $7.50 minimum wage is laughably small but the next minimum wage has to be laughably small as well. If it was $50 then it would wreck the economy.
There are labour shortages across the UK because people are still being told to self-isolate if they have contact with someone who is COVID+
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isol...
Poles are returning back home quicker than than expected post-Brexit because Poland doesn't have a vaccine mandate and was quicker to return to post-virus normal.
Part of the solution to fixing this is abandoning all COVID measures (including masks) and treating the virus just like any other seasonal illness - just as has been done by Norway, Denmark, Sweden etc. recently. People will be more comfortable moving to the UK, and working.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isol...
Poles are returning back home quicker than than expected post-Brexit because Poland doesn't have a vaccine mandate and was quicker to return to post-virus normal.
Part of the solution to fixing this is abandoning all COVID measures (including masks) and treating the virus just like any other seasonal illness - just as has been done by Norway, Denmark, Sweden etc. recently. People will be more comfortable moving to the UK, and working.
> People will be more comfortable moving to the UK, and working.
On what visa (be specific)? A big part of Brexit has been making it harder for people to come to the UK and work.
On what visa (be specific)? A big part of Brexit has been making it harder for people to come to the UK and work.
>There are labour shortages across the UK because people are still being told to self-isolate if they have contact with someone who is COVID+
Not if they have been vaccinated.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isol...
Not if they have been vaccinated.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isol...
This is usual news fear-mongering, I’ve been in many shops and they’re fully stocked. Every fuel station has petrol and diesel
Congratulations, you're not one of the 8 million.
Meanwhile my parents had to eat cupboard food for dinner because their local Co-op looked like this: https://imgur.com/a/a2aEaxG
Meanwhile my parents had to eat cupboard food for dinner because their local Co-op looked like this: https://imgur.com/a/a2aEaxG
"Thanks Brexit"... and not "thanks worldwide supply chain disruption partially caused by a pandemic and ridiculous overreaction to it".
There’s only a few things missing. Just choose different veg?
I don't think they want recipe tips, they're just highlighting there's a lot of produce missing from the shelves
Having less variety of food l and "having to eat cupboard food" don't really go hand in hand. It's not essentials, they're luxurious options.
I'm glad you think meat is an inessential luxury item. I suspect it's a viewpoint we're all going to have to embrace before long.
It is a luxury item in most of the world where large livestock are needed to pull heavy equipment.
https://snackfever.com/blogs/magazine/beef-why-in-korea-it-i...
https://snackfever.com/blogs/magazine/beef-why-in-korea-it-i...
Along the same lines of "Covid hasn't hit my family, so clearly it doesn't exist."
A few Gladwells of anecdata: our local ASDA (big but not a megastore) has had reasonably frequent empty shelves in various products. I think the medium-large Tesco down the road has also had empty shelves (but that's secondhand from people I know who shop there.) Similarly secondhand, from family up north, the major supermarkets up there have been missing products.
Not true from my experience, but 'North' is a broad geographic area.
Every petrol station I’ve driven past in the last week has had giant queues or (more commonly) been shut for lack of fuel. SE England.
>I’ve been in many shops and they’re fully stocked. Every fuel station has petrol and diesel
Yet I cycled past a closed petrol station yesterday and couldn't buy everything on my shopping list last week.
Neither your point nor the article are correct of course and a lot depends on where you live in the country.
Yet I cycled past a closed petrol station yesterday and couldn't buy everything on my shopping list last week.
Neither your point nor the article are correct of course and a lot depends on where you live in the country.
Move along nothing to see.
My only theory is that having been told to expect disaster for five years people have actually come to expect it.