A dark shadow hangs over the European landscape: Catastrophic FORECAST! Going to the winter like a nightmare – Topky.sk

This is Britain in 2021, the news server The New York Times wrote. Until recently, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted all anti-pandemic measures in July, sentiment across the country was reasonably optimistic. The successful vaccination campaign has finally restored the beloved freedoms of everyday life – visiting family and friends, meeting acquaintances and meeting strangers, sitting in cafes and restaurants.

Source: SITA / AP Photo / Alberto Pezzali, Pool, File

Although the number of people infected continued to rise, the balance of hospitalized and deaths fell sharply. This whole nightmare seemed to be over. But the last few weeks have driven away any sense of normalcy again. The dramatic fuel crisis, largely caused by a shortage of truck drivers, which has led to the closure of about a third of all petrol stations at its peak, is most striking.

The interplay of various problems – the global shortage of petrol, rising energy and food prices, supply chain problems and the Conservatives’ decision to cut social benefits – casts a dark shadow on Britain’s future. Even Boris Johnson, known for his unlimited optimism and joviality, has trouble easing this situation.

Memories of a difficult past

The panic of recent weeks, which evoked old memories of the turbulent late 1970s, was by no means unexpected. For many months, industry leaders across the economy have warned of chronic labor shortages. Not only truck drivers, but also fruit pickers, butchers, waiters and healthcare workers.

Signs of disrupted supply chains and their impact on business are everywhere: empty shelves in supermarkets, food spoiling in the fields, and more and more message boards highlighting vacancies in shop windows and restaurants. Meat processors even called on the government to allow them to hire prisoners.

One of the main causes of this tricky situation is Brexit, or at least the way the government has approached it. Britain delayed the exit from the EU, which took place without any real effort by Boris Johnson to ensure a smooth transition. This led to the exodus of European workers, which was further exacerbated by the pandemic. From July 2019 to September 2020, up to 1.3 million foreigners left Britain.

Nevertheless, even at a time when it was becoming clear that Britain was facing a major labor shortage, the Conservatives refused to react. They had empty political speeches and called everything a “fabricated situation.” They twisted and reassured the public that there was nothing to worry about.

And when they realized that they had the opportunity to pass on their negligence as a favor, they began to argue that the reason for their inability to act was actually to force companies to pay more to British employees, rather than relying on cheap foreign power.

This alibi for inaction is unconvincing. In the Netherlands, for example, the new law has improved payment and working conditions for lorry drivers. In Britain, conditions remain among the worst in Europe. And the government’s offer of 5,000 temporary visas for drivers from EU countries came too late and in insufficient form.

Heating or food?

Instead of higher wages, the British public has so far only encountered higher prices. Inflation has been rising faster than ever since 1997. The rising price of fuel continues to weigh on people’s lives, and energy in Britain is more expensive than anywhere else in Europe.

While other governments, such as in Spain and Italy, have made sure that families in need are protected from rising costs, conservatives have not shown such leniency. Three million households in Britain already live in “fuel poverty”, when they have to decide whether to smoke or eat in the winter. The Conservatives are expected to increase by another half a million after the Conservatives raise the energy price cap this month.

Nevertheless, Boris Johnson claims that he gave British conservatism a more friendly face. He is passionately talking about raising the level and “starting” the communities that are lagging behind. But the behavior of his government does not match that.

200,000 children below the poverty line

By the end of September, it had completed a program that compensated people for up to 80 percent of the loss of income during a pandemic. And on October 6, conservatives will reduce Britain’s universal social benefit, the so-called Universal Credit, by £ 20 (€ 23) a week – at a time when more people are dependent on it than ever before.

It is the largest single reduction in social benefits in British history and is estimated to push another half a million people below the poverty line – including 200,000 children. The newly introduced € 500 million (€ 583.7 million) winter emergency aid fund will find it difficult to mitigate the effects of a 12-fold increase.

But Boris Johnson will most likely not bear the consequences of his actions. His government, based on a comfortable majority, remains safe. In addition, he himself can masterfully use crises as new opportunities. He is able to adapt and not be burdened by a sense of responsibility or honesty, so he thrives in adverse conditions. The rest of the country will no longer be so lucky.

Memories of a difficult past

Heating or food?

200,000 children below the poverty line

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