AIBU to think that the BBC and other news outlets are reporting that the lack of lorry drivers and care workers is caused by Covid alone and that they are deliberately ignoring Brexit?

[Aurorashields99]

And if you agree, why do you think this is the case? Surely Brexit is as much to blame for these issues so why are they not reporting this fairly?

I must have watched half a dozen news stories over the past few days in which reporters only mention Covid as being the cause of empty shelves in the supermarket and the shortage of care workers. If Brexit is referred to at all, it is only mentioned fleetingly.

Of course Covid has had a heavy impact on these sectors too but it's not the only factor is it? So why is Brexit being ignored?

I am not a journalist or a troll. I have been a member of Mumsnet since 2003.

And yes I know there is a Brexit topic elsewhere but (a) I am interested in people's votes and (b) not being able to discuss this in AIBU and confining this thread to the Brexit topic is the perfect example of the issue I am complaining about here.

And it is allowing Boris Johnson and Michael Gove to cover their tracks and not to have to face the consequences of their actions. Covid is providing the perfect cover for them both.

Why aren't reporters doing their job and reporting the facts fairly? Why is Brexit being swept under the rug? Is it because Johnson and Gove were former journalists themselves and know how to spin events in their favour?

Or is Brexit a dirty word now even though we are all living with consequences?

I don't know. There is a huge shortage of drivers right across Europe and the UK isn't the worst affected country either. America is having a lot of trouble too.

I have to say, re claims of supermarket shelves being empty, that I have never had any trouble getting anything anywhere. I get people's shopping so I regularly go in numerous different shop chains as required across Merseyside and beyond and shelves have always been full. Maybe it's a regional thing, but I cover a big region. No problems in Blackpool either the other week.

However, I've noticed many images being shared are from ultra-remainers and when checked show the start of the pandemic so there is definitely scaremongering going on. Or during times of clear restocking; actually, there was actually one time I was sent to Asda and they'd moved the freezers so they were all empty and I could have had a field day posting pictures while in reality the place was chockablock with staff everywhere pushing great towering piles of stuff to refill them. Anyway, this is all potentially upsetting for my clients and it makes me angry. It's almost like there's an agenda to create panic buying (yeah, tinfoil hat time) by some just so they can point fingers at how badly the UK ( or just England really) is doing. English exceptionalism is as irritating and stupid from the anti- brigade as it is from flag-saluters.

@NantesElephant

Are other European countries who have been dealing with COVID but not Brexit in the way we have experienced similar shortages? Honest question as I don’t know the answer.

No, EU countries are not experiencing these shortages.

It might be a useful question for so many issues - is it happening elsewhere in Europe? If it's not then chances are it's Brexit-related.

TheNatureOfTheCatastrophe and reprehensibleme

Those reports are excellent. I should have distinguished between TV news and written news in my op.

And radio news - More or Less broke down the levers of the shortage very clearly in a recent report.

@NantesElephant

Are other European countries who have been dealing with COVID but not Brexit in the way we have experienced similar shortages? Honest question as I don’t know the answer.

We are desperately short of HSE workers ...Irish Equivalent of NHS, I cannot post links but read CASTLEBAR MAYO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL on the Mayo News site. Staff are declaring it unsafe and that is clear from the articles from appalled patients AND now from within the staff..

Other hospitals eg Limerick and Galway are in similar case although we seem to be worse.

NB Castlebar is my local hospital and I was less than impressed with my experience there before this. And now in emergency I would refuse and insist on LImerick. As others are doing.

Here an Irish trained nurse or doctor gets trained here; then can swan off overseas without any Irish health care work. Needs that they serve here a while .

Our best nurses are Filipinos.

No food shortages thankfully - well not in my purchase range - but then we are EU and that is more of a safeguard. And a great deal of our food is produced here. Till receipts tell you how much of your order is irish

Yes - BBC is not covering accurately/ being obtuse/ or outright leaving stories completely out about alot of things nowadays that make a certain political party look bad.... and it's all to do with the way it's now run. Or should we say, the people who run it and who they are affiliated with. It never used to be unbiased.

Since covid happened, I thought that the govt would use it as a convenient scapegoat for any fallout caused by Brexit

Re lorry drivers, it's not just covid nor brexit. There have been other factors such as the CPC courses that drivers have to pay for and lose wages doing which were imposed a few years ago and are widely regarded as completely pointless meaning lots of older drivers simply retired a few years early. Likewise, the extension of IR35 tax rules has had a massive impact on lots of self employed drivers as tax breaks helped compensate for low wages. Lots of drivers have also left the industry due to the stresses caused by never ending roadworks, delays and congestion on the roads.

Was just about to post about IR35 changes being an impact as well. For a lot of driving's the resulting pay cut makes the job no longer worthwhile or competitive and have gone either to other countries or other industries.

@NantesElephant

Are other European countries who have been dealing with COVID but not Brexit in the way we have experienced similar shortages? Honest question as I don’t know the answer.

I'm in Ireland. You would think if it's purely a lorry driver problem we would be even worse hit, but the supermarkets seem fine here, where I am anyway.

The only empty shelves I've seen are in M&S where much of the branded "British" food has disappeared

I listen to lots of business news on BBC radio stations. They always mention combination of Brexit & Covid as reasons for supply chain & logistics problems.

Dunno about TV, I barely watch TV.

@TheNatureOfTheCatastrophe

I get almost all of my news from the BBC and am fully aware that the lorry driver shortage is caused by a combination of backlog of HGV tests due to Covid, exodus of EU lorry drivers due to Brexit (and also Covid to some extent), and long term reluctance of workers to do the job because they've been increasingly underpaid and treated badly for the last twenty years.

However, and I say this as a determined Remainer, the reason why the workforce were underpaid and made to work in grim conditions was probably because there was a large supply of Eastern European drivers prepared to put up with those conditions. It looks a lot as if Brexit is having exactly the effect that its voters wanted and forcing wages and conditions to be increased to a point to make the job attractive. Of course it's happening in a totally chaotic and unplanned way because of the combination of Covid and this sodding government.

That's a fair point TheNatureOfTheCatastrophe.

Of course this all assumes that the economy and us as consumers will be able to afford higher costs. It will be interesting to see how a sudden growth in wages v a long term increase in costs will pan out. We consumers will have to be prepared to pay more for better conditions for lorry drivers (which I agree can be unacceptably bad).

ps: wrt to Lorry drivers, their aging demographic (age 53+ as median?) is often cited, this problem has been brewing long term.

I agree with SoloISland about care staff though, we are chronically short of nurses. That's been happening for a while due to appalling pay and conditions, but has very much been exacerbated by Covid.

I've heard that there are driver shortages in mainland europe as well.
(was hugely anti-brexit, so not an apologist)

@Alltheprettyseahorses I have to say, re claims of supermarket shelves being empty, that I have never had any trouble getting anything anywhere.

I agree. Except for the start of the pandemic where shortages were caused by the panic buying, I can't say I've suffered any important shortages. Yes, obviously, sometimes, a particular item is out of stock, but there are always alternatives to buy instead. Certainly not shelf after shelf empty. Earlier this week, I wanted a case of Diet Coke, Tesco had none, but a few days later I went to Asda, and they had an entire bay full of it.

The only shop that seems to be suffering is our local Co Op. But I don't go in often because it was poorly stocked even before Covid. I did happen to go in a couple of weeks ago, and, yes, there were entire empty shelves, such as the ready meals fridge being completely empty and the crisp stand being empty. But, that's down to poor management. Our other local shop is a Spar which I use more and always has a full range - even in the depths of Brexit, I was still able to buy loo rolls, flour etc from them - they must have better management and maybe even a stock room so less reliant on "just in time".

@Aurorashields99 - I know for example that the shortage in electronics is due to issues in China...
But there are additional problems with the goods when they arrive & stored in EU counties due to new customs regulations.

It's even more tricky with fresh produce as thereis a time limit. I think some companies just don't bother.

‘There’s a supply chain issue’

Honestly, this is a massive massive problem. Not a tag-on argument. Containers are piling up unable to be moved as needed and food is spoiling.

@Alltheprettyseahorses

I don't know. There is a huge shortage of drivers right across Europe and the UK isn't the worst affected country either. America is having a lot of trouble too.

I have to say, re claims of supermarket shelves being empty, that I have never had any trouble getting anything anywhere. I get people's shopping so I regularly go in numerous different shop chains as required across Merseyside and beyond and shelves have always been full. Maybe it's a regional thing, but I cover a big region. No problems in Blackpool either the other week.

However, I've noticed many images being shared are from ultra-remainers and when checked show the start of the pandemic so there is definitely scaremongering going on. Or during times of clear restocking; actually, there was actually one time I was sent to Asda and they'd moved the freezers so they were all empty and I could have had a field day posting pictures while in reality the place was chockablock with staff everywhere pushing great towering piles of stuff to refill them. Anyway, this is all potentially upsetting for my clients and it makes me angry. It's almost like there's an agenda to create panic buying (yeah, tinfoil hat time) by some just so they can point fingers at how badly the UK ( or just England really) is doing. English exceptionalism is as irritating and stupid from the anti- brigade as it is from flag-saluters.

I agree Alltheprettyseahorses that the tabloids are overly fond of a supermarket empty shelf shot for no other reason than to create panic.

I don't know how anyone in the country can imagine that leaving the customs union and the single market will not have any effect.

The media are bizarrely ignoring the B word.

The BBC edited this interview so the interviewee would not be heard blaming Brexit.

@lljkk

ps: wrt to Lorry drivers, their aging demographic (age 53+ as median?) is often cited, this problem has been brewing long term.

Drivers I know have said that the banning of carrying passengers has been an issue. They used to be allowed to take their sons and daughters on the lorry with them for suitable journeys, but that's banned now, so the next generation don't get to see life on the road.

Like other "manual" jobs, the push to get over 50% of school leavers to Uni has drained the job markets of people willing to do things that aren't office based. Lots of school leavers wouldn't be suited to manual work like the trades or truck drivers have been pushed into getting degrees which often lead to low paid office based work.

@SpringRainbow

I said all along that they will (attempt to) hide the true impact of Brexit with Covid.

I was thinking exactly this yesterday

I agree. The BBC seems to be paralysed with fear about reporting the truth about both Brexit and this government's lies.

Shortages are worse in the EU. M&s closed shops in France due to no delivery.

However, and I say this as a determined Remainer, the reason why the workforce were underpaid and made to work in grim conditions was probably because there was a large supply of Eastern European drivers prepared to put up with those conditions. It looks a lot as if Brexit is having exactly the effect that its voters wanted and forcing wages and conditions to be increased to a point to make the job attractive. Of course it's happening in a totally chaotic and unplanned way because of the combination of Covid and this sodding government.
This is a very fair point, I was thinking the same the other day when watching the news. This is exactly what was written on the Brexit tin, foreign cheap workforce will leave and the positions will be filled with local people once demand pushes the pay into the attractive range. Same with many other industries, I guess the shortage is less acute and obvious there - hospitality, care work etc.

In general people leaving back home in droves is a combination of Brexit and covid. I know many people who were renting a roomshare, not even a room (i.e. a double room shared by 2 or 3 people) to be able to get some profits out of their work in London. Not such a big thing when you are out there all day anyway, coming home only to sleep. Now add a lockdown on top.