Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as the UK government takes steps to help oil companies to target petrol stations running dry after days of panic buying.
- Latest: Public should buy petrol as normal, says environment secretary
- Eustice: Some with a ‘tendency to be anxious’ will have filled up
- ‘No plans at the moment’ to use army to drive fuel tankers
Earlier:
- Union: EU workers won’t help UK out of mess
- Industry hopes petrol situation will improve by end of the week
- Companies allowed to work together to get fuel to petrol stations
- Boris Johnson to consider using army to supply petrol stations
Olaf Scholz, the frontrunner to replace Angela Merkel as the leader of Germany, has said Brexit has led to the UK’s shortage of HGV drivers.
Scholz, the Social Democratic Party’s candidate for chancellor, was asked about the UK’s lorry driver problems after the SPD won won the most votes in Sunday’s federal election.
With the U.K. in the throes of a fuel crisis due to a shortage of truck drivers, the man tipped to become chancellor was asked if Germany could help the country out.
The question was asked by a British reporter at a news conference with Olaf Scholz, who last night won the election by the slimmest of margins. It was met with laughter and the Social Democrat took it in his stride and in fluent English reminded the Brits that their troubles are also a consequence of Brexit.
“Free movement of labour is part of the European Union, and we worked very hard to convince the British not to leave”
Olaf Scholz, whose Social Democrats narrowly won the German election, is asked if he would send truck drivers to the U.K.
More: https://t.co/Xv8rCqR1bn pic.twitter.com/CJLFd4iKxU
“It might have something to do with the question of wages.
If you understand that being a trucker is really something that many people like to be and you find not enough, this has something to do with working conditions and this is something that has to be thought about.”
BREAKING: Olaf Scholz (on UK trucks crisis) says the free movement of labour is part of the EU and “we asked the Brits not to leave the EU”
He also said that wages for truck drivers are part of the problem
Royal Dutch Shell says it is refilling UK petrol stations as fast as it can, after the surge in demand hit supplies.
A Shell spokesperson said.
“We are working hard to ensure supplies for customers,”
“Since Friday we have been seeing a higher than normal demand across our network which is resulting in some sites running low on some grades. We are replenishing these as quickly as we are able to.”