Government ministers have ordered the deployment of soldiers to distribute petrol and diesel within days, in a dramatic escalation of the national fuel crisis which has seen pumps run dry and prices spike to an eight-year high.
At an emergency meeting in Whitehall, ministers agreed to put military tanker drivers in a state of readiness to take the wheel of civilian tankers if normal conditions do not return swiftly. Defence sources said that 75 drivers have been put on standby initially, with a further 75 along with 150 support staff available if needed, with several days of specialised training required before deployment.
Meanwhile, transport secretary Grant Shapps issued an extension to driver licences, temporarily freeing tanker drivers from the requirement to take refresher training courses every five years. Licences expiring before the new year will have their validity extended to 31 January 2022 to provide immediate relief from driver shortages.
Government ministers issued a plea to the public for calm, insisting that panic buying was unnecessary as there was no shortage of fuel in the UK. And they were backed up by fuel distribution leaders, who said they believed supplies will return to normal within days.
But the man set to replace Angela Merkel as Germany’s chancellor, said the crisis – which has seen industry sources warn of a 100,000 shortfall in HGV drivers – was only to be expected as a result of Brexit and low pay in the UK.
“We worked very hard to convince the British not to leave the union,” said SPD leader Olaf Scholz. “Now they decided different and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that.”
He added: “If you understand that being a trucker is really something that many people like to be and you find not enough [are applying], this has something to do with working conditions and this is something that has to be thought about.”
Queues at petrol stations continued to build around the country, with reports of fighting at the pumps and police appealing for motorists not to be abusive to attendants.
UK news in pictures Show all 50
1/50UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London
PA
UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton
PA
UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland
Getty Images
UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London
PA
UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the “ups and downs” of her mother’s case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran
AP
UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by ‘CrackTheCrises’ coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London
EPA
UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for ￡12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent
PA
UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London
PA
UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium
Action Images/Reuters
UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester,
Reuters
UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September
PA
UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson
PA
UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk
PA
UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral
PA
UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his “awesome” year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than ￡150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospital’s charity
PA
UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York
AP
UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria
PA
UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queen’s Guard
PA
UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London
Reuters
UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled “Prairie” by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London
EPA
UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic
PA
UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole
PA
UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London.
PA
UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
PA
UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season.
PA
UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire
PA
UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium
Reuters
UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London
EPA
UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London
PA
UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
POOL/AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit
Action Images via Reuters
UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London
Reuters
UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britain’s cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Women’s C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold
Reuters
UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London
PA
UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London
AFP/Getty
UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest
PA
UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London
Reuters
UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach.
PA
UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire
PA
UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families
PA
UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing
Reuters
UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week
PA
UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival
PA
UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident
PA
UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening
PA
UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair
PA
UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges
PA
UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London
Reuters
UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
PA
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) reported that up to 90 per cent of its independent members were out of fuel in some areas, after oil giant BP said one-third of its sites had no supplies.
Staff at one petrol station told The Independent they had been forced to close down after customers became intimidating and aggressive.
And the offer of temporary visas for EU drivers to help plug a manpower shortfall running into tens of thousands won short shrift from one European truckers’ leader.
Edwin Atema, of the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves.
“It’s not like offering a visa … and the issue will be solved. Drivers need way more than a visa and a pay slip.”
Marco Digioia, general secretary of the European Road Haulers Association (UETR), which represents 70 per cent of trucking companies across the EU, said: “I expect many drivers will not return to the UK even if the UK government allows them to.
“While offering visas to drivers on the continent would be a welcome step, there are many other issues, such as working conditions, pay and the costs of getting into and working in the UK.”
Announcing the request for armed forces assistance under the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities scheme, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “While the fuel industry expects demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, it’s right that we take this sensible, precautionary step.
“The UK continues to have strong supplies of fuel, however we are aware of supply chain issues at fuel station forecourts and are taking steps to ease these as a matter of priority.
“If required, the deployment of military personnel will provide the supply chain with additional capacity as a temporary measure to help ease pressures caused by spikes in localised demand for fuel.”
The move comes after the government relaxed competition rules to allow fuel companies to cooperate in ensuring supplies get to shortage areas and deal with localised spikes in demand.
In a joint statement, nine major fuel distribution companies including Shell, Esso and Wincanton, said: “There is plenty of fuel at UK refineries and terminals, and as an industry we are working closely with the government to help ensure fuel is available to be delivered to stations across the country.
“As many cars are now holding more fuel than usual, we expect that demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, easing pressures on fuel station forecourts. We would encourage everyone to buy fuel as they usually would.”
The average price of a litre of petrol across the UK rose from 135.87p on Friday to 136.59p on Sunday, according to figures from the RAC. This is the highest that pump prices have been since September 2013.
Meanwhile, the price of wholesale petrol has also risen from 123.25p on Monday 20 September to 125.22p just four days later, with the RAC warning that this could cause pump prices to rise further.
Mr Shapps said there were signs of panic buying “moderating”, with more grades of fuel now available at more petrol stations.
“People have been responding to the message to only fill up when they actually need fuel, and in any case their cars are now fuller,” he said.
Continuing the government approach of blaming the problems on unusual purchasing patterns rather than a collapse in the distribution system, he insisted that the current network of tanker drivers was “capable of delivering all the fuel we need”.
Nevertheless, he said that the army had been asked to “plug the gap” while new HGV drivers come on stream.
PRA chairman Brian Madderson questioned whether the army drivers would make much difference to the situation.
“There has been training going on in the background for military personnel,” he said.
“But that’s perhaps just confined to moving the tanker by articulated truck from point A to point B. One of the difficulties is loading,” he said, adding that was “a skilled job”.
And unions warned that only “a handful” of former drivers were likely to return to work in response to a Department for Transport letter to 1 million HGV licence holders asking them to consider coming back.
Labour is calling for looser immigration rules to ease the crisis, arguing drivers queuing for hours for petrol “couldn’t care less” if lorry drivers are foreign.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves called for the independent Migration Advisory Committee to decide the issue – after a miserly 5,000 visas were issued to overseas drivers.
“Most people who are queuing up this morning, whether that’s in Brighton or Leeds or wherever, to fill up their car, they couldn’t care less whether the HGV driver that’s got the petrol to the forecourt is British or foreign,” she said.
“What they want to know is that they can fill up their car or their van and go about the business – so let’s plug those gaps.”