Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

0:00
0:00

Sunak: Ministers "doing all we can” to fix supplies for shops.

Well, this brave statement is exactly the problem and not the solution. When politicians say we're "doing all we can", it generally means - as in this case - they're doing nothing, just blowing hot air. If they were able to do something useful instead of just sweet-talking, they would find decent jobs and not disgrace themselves by spending their lives in such a shabby, low-life occupation. Sending a PR picture to the press comparing Rishi Sunak to Jesus Christ will not allow our sainted Chancellor to ascend to the next celestial level. He's still just a smarmy (if smart) politician who doesn't believe the promises he makes. Similar to Jesus: “You'll be rewarded, next life; just give me your money, this life".




In recent days, several retailers have warned of potential shortages during the Christmas shopping season.

Speaking to the BBC at the end of G7 meetings in Washington, Mr Sunak blamed global factors for delays seen at ports such as Felixstowe.

It comes as G7 finance ministers agreed to work together to address the issues.

Mr Sunak said: "I'm confident there'll be a good amount of Christmas presents available for everyone to buy."

His comments came after a container logjam at ports, including Felixstowe, and a shortage of HGV lorry drivers has sparked concerns among businesses, ahead of the most important period of the year for retail spending.

On Wednesday, the UK's largest commercial port said the supply chain crisis has caused a logjam of shipping containers.

The Port of Felixstowe, which handles 36% of the UK's freight container traffic, blamed the busy pre-Christmas period and haulage shortages.

However, it said the situation has been improving over the last few days.

Meanwhile, shipping giant Maersk told the BBC it was rerouting some of its biggest ships away from the port.

At the same time, one of biggest ports in the US will start operating 24 hours a day to try to clear long queues of cargo ships.
The Port of Los Angeles in California said it will handle more goods at night after a similar move by nearby Long Beach port.
The ports - which handle 40% of all cargo containers entering the US - have faced months of problems.

Major US firms such as Walmart and FedEx have also committed to increasing their round-the-clock operations to help clear the jam, the White House said on Wednesday.

Mr Sunak was speaking after the G7 agreed to work more closely together to monitor issues facing the movement of goods around the world.

The meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors discussed the importance of global co-operation to ensure that supply chains are more resilient as the world emerges from the pandemic.

The G7 (Group of Seven) is an organisation of the world's seven largest so-called advanced economies. They are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. Ministers and officials from the member countries hold meetings, form agreements and publish joint statements on global events.

In the BBC interview, Mr Sunak largely focused on the situation for industry in the UK - and he said he completely rejected the assertion of the head of UK Steel that the government had created a "hostile environment" for industrial investment and levelling up.

But when asked if he, as chancellor, was prepared to accept that high gas prices would put some heavy industry out of business he said he had to make sure taxpayers' money was protected and that "it's not the government's job to come in and start managing the price of every individual product".

Mr Sunak said the government would work constructively with businesses after Prime Minister Boris Johnson blamed shortages on UK firms "mainlining" migrant labour, pointing to the appointment of the former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis as a supply chain tsar.

However, the chancellor also said "everyone" including Mr Johnson accepts that increasing wages without increasing productivity would be inflationary.

He said the move to a high wage, high-skill economy advocated by Mr Johnson would "obviously take time".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
×