“An incompetent failure to prepare the country for the reality of the Brexit era.” The Telegraph's comment on the dramatic fuel crisis that is bringing Boris Johnson's England to its knees is merciless.

It all started last weekend when British Petroleum announced the closure of some filling stations due to a lack of fuel hauliers. Britain is not entirely dry, but the announcement has sparked the hoarding rush by panicked motorists: long queues, subterfuges to jump them and brawls.

Logistical difficulties caused by Brexit: there are not enough drivers to get enough tankers to the distributors, over 100 thousand truck drivers are missing, Europeans returned home due to Covid or the bureaucratic difficulties introduced by Brexit, not to mention the mileage queues on the Channel always due to the United Kingdom leaving the EU.

So panic broke out over the weekend, with motorists storming the distributors for fear of running out of fuel. The result? Many gas stations have run out of supplies, and even though the government preaches calm and says there is something for everyone, people do not trust them now and a spiral has been triggered that is difficult to keep under control.

Obviously, the crisis also triggered a rise in prices: the average price of a liter of gasoline increased from 135.87 pence to 136.59 in 48 hours.

There are those who think that the crisis will be resolved in a few days, but supply problems and the lack of truckers are now an endemic problem in post-Brexit England. Indeed Boris Johnson on the one hand is mobilizing the army, but it will take time to train the military and get them to drive the tankers. On the other hand, it is turning around on visa policy: the government has launched an offer of temporary visas to 5 thousand foreign drivers of tankers and food trucks (in addition to 5,500 poultry workers).

Yes, because another risk is that turkey will not make it to the British Christmas tables. Both for the usual problem of truck drivers and for the crisis of agriculture and livestock. In fact, many people employed in the sector had to leave England after Brexit.

But is a temporary permit enough to entice truck drivers? Many think not, because it would mean working in Great Britain for only three months.

The dream of Brexit and the sovereignists ("Only qualified immigrants", perhaps doctors, scientists, engineers, as the government announced), in short, is turning out to be a nightmare.

(Unioneonline / L)

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