Blame the government!

[Unicornish]

All these threads having a go at people for panic buying fuel are really getting on my tits.

Panic buying is a logical response to panic buying. People are going to do it and it is a foreseeable side effect of a crisis. Don't blame them for doing the logical thing.

Instead, blame the government who got us into this mess in the first place by recklessly pursuing a hard Brexit without knowing or caring what the consequences would be.

Spiindoctor what you saw was hate and anti-immigration. But you were all right Jack. Reminder that the Tories have been in for 11 years. What stopped them making things better?

Market forces will make things better - pretty sharpish I should think.

Pathetic to pretend the Gov controls everything - we control it with how we spend our money - you want cheap deliveries, cheap plumbers - they come from overseas - ha now you have to cough up.

@Spiindoctor

I saw no Brexit campaign trying to argue to leave on the basis of better pay and conditions. It was all about sovereignty abd stopping foreigners.

Well I saw plenty about lack of jobs for locals, lack of housing, overcrowded schools. Obviously it didn't affect your level of society so you were all right Jack.

On the basis that the big bass foreigners were taking them.

What has this Brexit loving government done to tackle any of these issues - that could have been tackled regardless of whether we were in the EU or not?

My point is that Brexit was and never will solve these issues because those in power don’t give a shit about it. They may have pretended that Brexit would help but ultimately they wanted to line their own pockets - look at the likes of Jacob Rees Mogg.

How can anyone ever have thought the likes of him, Dominic Raab and Rishi Sunak ever wanted better pay and conditions for ordinary people?

Honestly.

Call me cynical but I wonder if the whole situation has been engineered by our delightful government. I wonder what they are trying to hide from us. The fuel shortage has taken the spotlight, but I cannot help but wonder what is lurking around in the dark.

@Spiindoctor

Market forces will make things better - pretty sharpish I should think.

Pathetic to pretend the Gov controls everything - we control it with how we spend our money - you want cheap deliveries, cheap plumbers - they come from overseas - ha now you have to cough up.

Naive to underplay the role of government in our economy here.

@LadyWithLapdog

Maybe not running low on fuel as a country but individuals are running low on fuel. Why should we do the rounds of all fuel stations to see where there is some? Same for food shortages. Why shouldn’t the media print it? This isn’t Eastern Europe circa 1985.

Because only 5 closed in the country. Individuals aren't all running low on fuel, people have topped up their tanks even if they weren't near the red. If this wasn't announced, people would have continued as normal. Having everyone try to top up on the same day and then being surprised forecourts are running out is ridiculous. They can only hold so much before they require a new delivery which they will get as there is fuel

Let’s see how this pans out. Last time Tube workers went on strike there was a lot of hate that they get paid too much and are doing too well. Are we all loving the lorry drivers now? Then attitudes have changed and there is some fucking hope.

My point is that Brexit was and never will solve these issues because those in power don’t give a shit about it.

Those in power give a big shit about it because if things don't improve they won't be in power after the next election or they will not have a majority like they have now.

@Spiindoctor

My point is that Brexit was and never will solve these issues because those in power don’t give a shit about it.

Those in power give a big shit about it because if things don't improve they won't be in power after the next election or they will not have a majority like they have now.

Nope they don’t give a shit about actually ordinary people. If they did they would have tried to sort this out. The Conservatives have a philosophy which does not align with making ordinary people have better lives.

They give a shit about power. So anything they do will be to keep in power.

@PreacherTeacher

Call me cynical but I wonder if the whole situation has been engineered by our delightful government. I wonder what they are trying to hide from us. The fuel shortage has taken the spotlight, but I cannot help but wonder what is lurking around in the dark.

They're not competent enough to pull off a plot of that kind and keep the plotting secret

If this wasn't announced, people would have continued as normal. Having everyone try to top up on the same day and then being surprised forecourts are running out is ridiculous. They can only hold so much before they require a new delivery which they will get as there is fuel

Really.

Why are people so blinkered?

BP are not saying “please stop buying petrol”, they’re saying they need more HGV drivers. So are retailers. Why is that so hard to believe?

Maybe the thought that we may be in trouble is too scary for some to accept, so denial is a better option for them.

No hate and anti-immigration here..just unease at the society we were/have become. Wage slaves in old petrol forecourts hosing down cars, HMOs, overcrowded schools, degraded high streets - food shops selling fruit bathed in traffic fumes, increasing lack of integration, white flight, no one knowing the words of Xmas carols at the nativity plays...I have a strange and much derided fondness for British culture and values.

@Megthehen

No hate and anti-immigration here..just unease at the society we were/have become. Wage slaves in old petrol forecourts hosing down cars, HMOs, overcrowded schools, degraded high streets - food shops selling fruit bathed in traffic fumes, increasing lack of integration, white flight, no one knowing the words of Xmas carols at the nativity plays...I have a strange and much derided fondness for British culture and values.

Being in the EU didn’t cause those things.

Having a neo-liberal capitalist society did. The gap between rich and poor is so so vast. That’s the problem we have. How can we be the fifth richest country in the world and yet millions in poverty? There is a finite supply of money and it’s being hoarded by a very narrow group of people.

You think Johnson gives a shit if he loses several hundred thousand votes? They’ll come up with some foreign hate, or single mums, or benefits, or whatever is the perceived poor person at the time. Then this from just one rung above will pile on, to big themselves up and distance themselves from those poor sods.

Knowing the words at Xmas carols. I’ve heard it all. Are you, like, 100 years old? No judgement here, I’m old myself, but this is the most piss poor argument I’ve heard in a while.

Megthelen I’ve just checked out the term “white flight” as I hadn’t heard it, or it hadn’t registered. Are you in the US as it seems less used in the UK. But that would be at odds with your fondness for the cheese of Xmas carols.

Totally, OP - the government are completely to blame for the current mess they have got us into- the only talent they have that I can see is diverting the public into infighting and blaming each other rather than laying the blame where it should be.

Not a hundred no ... does my age matter? Nice cosy middle class existence, free uni education, well paid job, Guardian reading feminist from a working class background. My piss poor argument being???? What about the rest..do you think the EU weren't part of the neoliberalist set up? It also delivered us a set of pretty poor domestic politicians...emasculated, not really able to do much domestically. I am hopeful that something new and credible will emerge.

@Iggly

If this wasn't announced, people would have continued as normal. Having everyone try to top up on the same day and then being surprised forecourts are running out is ridiculous. They can only hold so much before they require a new delivery which they will get as there is fuel

Really.

Why are people so blinkered?

BP are not saying “please stop buying petrol”, they’re saying they need more HGV drivers. So are retailers. Why is that so hard to believe?

Maybe the thought that we may be in trouble is too scary for some to accept, so denial is a better option for them.

BP are also not saying everyone go out and buy petrol on the same day. They have fuel, they have said no need to panic buy yet the majority have.

Megthehen of course it doesn’t matter, I was just surprised to see such an argument used. So you want us to be a nation pounded by non-emasculated men? Keep your fantasies to yourself.

Yes, and I say the same about their horrible, divisive approach to Covid measures and the ridiculous approach to awarding exam results. They are sat watching us criticise and fight each other and laughing while we continue to vote for them.

Not in the US no. White flight has been happening for years in the UK. Education is the drive in a lot of areas nowadays...quite sad how fearful white and south east Asian parents are of other cultures and vice versa.The cheese of Xmas Carol's...the great hope and joy of new babies, the belief in a better fairer world for all..my oestrogen levels haven't completely collapsed it appears.

@Unicornish

All these threads having a go at people for panic buying fuel are really getting on my tits.

Panic buying is a logical response to panic buying. People are going to do it and it is a foreseeable side effect of a crisis. Don't blame them for doing the logical thing.

Instead, blame the government who got us into this mess in the first place by recklessly pursuing a hard Brexit without knowing or caring what the consequences would be.

100% !!!!! 🙈🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🙈

They’ll still get in next election, I’d bet my house on it.

@CoRhona

I agree but the media are also complicit in making things worse.

They are reporting on something which is happening. Dues to a lack of European lorry drivers. Due to Brexshit.