Christmas “nightmare” prediction as Rishi Sunak warns shortages could last “months” Bedford News

Rishi Sunak said the government was “determined to do what we can” to mitigate the impact of the current fuel supply crisis and supply chain issues.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Sunak said he could not guarantee that Christmas would not be affected by the problems, but that the UK could still look to the future with “a renewed sense of confidence and optimism “.

Sunak said millions of families are facing a “difficult” winter and the current supply problems could continue for months.

He said: “These shortages are very real. We are seeing real disruption in supply chains in different industries, not just here but around the world.

“We are determined to do what we can to try to mitigate this as much as possible. “

The government said demand for fuel has stabilized and there are now more products delivered than sold, but parts of the country still face challenges.

It comes as a retail analyst has warned that labor supply issues and the shortage of truck drivers will lead to a Christmas ‘nightmare’, with many consumer goods in short supply. .

Speaking to the Mirror, retail analyst Clive Black of Shore Capital also predicted that beer and soft drinks could be “in short supply” due to the CO2 shortage.

He said: “I expect Christmas to be a nightmare. Labor shortages meant that companies did not lay the same number of turkeys or plant the same number of crops.

“The shortage of truck drivers compounds the problem. Many people who eat on Christmas Day will ask, “What is this?”

“Likewise, if the CO2 problem doesn’t fix, expect beer and soft drinks to be scarce – and much more expensive.”

Shadow Business Secretary Ed Miliband said: “It is the Conservatives’ complacency that has led to the fuel crisis, the energy cost crisis and the supply chain crisis that we are experiencing. our country, with ministers ignoring corporate warnings and failing to plan ahead. “