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AIBU?

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Original poster

London still out of fuel - because it doesn't vote Tory

204 replies

istherelifeafter40 · 01/10/2021 00:07

Where I live, South London, it is still impossible to get fuel. Most petrol stations are closed, the ones that are open have hours-long queues. The queueing cars are blocking the roads, it's a nightmare.

Every news outlet keeps saying the crisis is easing. I don't see any signs of that. It's pure gaslighting. I get it, media try not to report shortages in order not to cause shortages, but I'd like some actual information, not lies?

What I think is that the Tory government will prioritise, in terms of fixing the supply chain breakdowns, the areas of the country that vote Tory, and will abandon metropolitan areas that increasingly shift to the left in their voting patterns.

AIBU - Tory don't care about London - or Manchester (anyone?); it's not their base
YANBU - where there is fuel and where there isn't is completely random

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 01/10/2021 00:11

Eh? I’m in a Tory area with closed petrol stations/long queues.

Changeisneeded · 01/10/2021 00:12

I live in one of the most Labour heavy areas in the country and filled up without any difficulty today and could have filled up in a number of different stations (a few days ago no chance they were all empty)

SevenOldLadies · 01/10/2021 00:13

I’m in an ultra-Tory area and there’s no fuel here either.

I think you’re crediting the Government with too much ability to carry out a plan tbh.

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:14

London has been fucked over by governments for 30-40 years.

It's the capital of homelessness (a whopping 165,000 homeless there), and is now suffering the highest unemployment rates. (Before anybody jumps in to cry, 'but London benefited from extra "investment', erm, no it didn't. How does lots of people from the rest of the UK coming to London for those jobs and pushing up house prices benefit socially cleansed Londoners?).

I'd say that the Insulate mob also have something to do with London being hit hard. I don't suppose blocking the M25 is helping matters.

ShrikeAttack · 01/10/2021 00:15

Or, possibly it's because the SE and London have a much higher population density...

Cwenthryth · 01/10/2021 00:16

There’s just a shit ton more people in London. It’s a population density/local demand issue. I also don’t think it’s within “the governments” power to direct tankers to specific petrol stations, or even areas.

ShrikeAttack · 01/10/2021 00:16

Plus fuel logistics are not government controlled...

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:17

@noblegiraffe

Eh? I’m in a Tory area with closed petrol stations/long queues.
It's been reported across several media outlets that whilst bad in various parts of the country, London is bearing the brunt.

Although wrt political leanings, London does have a number of Conservative boroughs. A Labour mayor though.

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:18

@ShrikeAttack

Or, possibly it's because the SE and London have a much higher population density...
Which has been government policy going back 30-40 years.
Cwenthryth · 01/10/2021 00:20

Great minds @ShrikeAttack Grin

RavingAnnie · 01/10/2021 00:20

I'm also in a Tory very very safe seat and we have no fuel. It would take a lot of planning and faff to only improve a supply chain in very specific areas. Supply chains don't really work like that.

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:22

I think the Insulate lot blocking the M25 is one of the reasons why London and the SE has been hit hard.

Chloemol · 01/10/2021 00:22

Oh grow up

Voting Tory or not has nothing to do with it

Blame the media for this, and for keeping it going instead of shutting up about something that’s simply wasn’t true, and to an extent still isn’t

There is plenty of fuel in the country, it was being delivered to every part of the country, regardless of how they voted, BP had a bit of an issue to 100 stations

Now the whole country is a mess, including areas that voted Tory

Why Londoners think they are hard done to all the time, they are not

Djifunrsn · 01/10/2021 00:24

London has better public transport and a higher population density.

I don't think anyone would have the time or the organisational skills to prioritise tory voting areas.

London has dirty and is overcrowded. There must be many people who could move out of London, I have no idea why those people stay. I can understand if people are tied to jobs, family etc but given the option, I would (and did) run hundreds of miles from London.

Saz12 · 01/10/2021 00:24

I’m in Scotland, no significant petrol issues. Also no Tory voters...!

DeborahAnnabel · 01/10/2021 00:27

On the basis BJ lives in London, I don’t think he’s going to throw it to the wolves. Is there actually a fuel crisis? If people weren’t panic buying, would we even notice the issues?

malmi · 01/10/2021 00:28

None of the parties involved are coordinated enough to determine fuel availability according to prevailing political views

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:28

Why Londoners think they are hard done to all the time

Because they read the news?

www.lbc.co.uk/news/fuel-shortages-london-petrol-stations/

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/petrol-crisis-london-low-fuel-levels-b958192.html

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:29

@malmi

None of the parties involved are coordinated enough to determine fuel availability according to prevailing political views
The level of urgency and speed of reaction and solutions, however...
steff13 · 01/10/2021 00:30

If you're looking for a conspiracy theory, "Birds aren't Real" is a fun one.

VampireBarbie · 01/10/2021 00:33

@noblegiraffe

Eh? I’m in a Tory area with closed petrol stations/long queues.
Same here
Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:34

Tbf the headlines are a bit misleading. That said, off topic but when it comes to the public health housing emergency definitely London has been fucked over for years.

From the Standard article above:

The capital,along with the South East, the North West, the West Midlands and East Midlands are all said to have fuel levels at their pumps of less than 20 per cent.

Looks like the NE, SW, and Yorks (and Scotland and Wales are the best places to be fuel wise).

GreySweater · 01/10/2021 00:34

I have just this minute got a cab from east London all the way down the A3 to south east London / Surrey. Every petrol station I saw (with petrol available) has queues and queues of cars trying to get in. This is causing major traffic jams along the A3. At 11.45pm on a Thursday night. It's a complete nightmare. Tensions are high and cars are beeping each other on the forecourts. My Uber driver told me he was up at 5am this morning and queued for 1.5hrs for petrol. Poor guy. When is this gonna end? No idea about Tory or Labour, but this does seem to be hitting London and South East particularly hard.

GianaSister · 01/10/2021 00:34

Sorry, are you seriously saying the government doesn’t care about London? You think London is down towards the bottom of the list compared to other cities in the UK? Are you for real?

Tealightsandd · 01/10/2021 00:36

@GianaSister

Sorry, are you seriously saying the government doesn’t care about London? You think London is down towards the bottom of the list compared to other cities in the UK? Are you for real?
London as a place to make money out of, maybe. Londoners, no.
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