Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Johnson appoints Michael Gove to oversee food supply chain issues

Johnson appoints Michael Gove to oversee food supply chain issues
Michael Gove MP (L) with prime minister Boris Johnson (Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Amid concerns that Britons may face food shortages at Christmas, prime minister Boris Johnson has appointed cabinet office minister Michael Gove to oversee a taskforce to tackle food supply issues, reports stated today (15).

Gove has been tasked with co-chairing a taskforce to alleviate Britain’s food supply chain issues alongside Treasury minister Steve Barclay.


Quipping he “didn’t want to have to cancel Christmas again”, Johnson told his cabinet of Gove’s appointment to the National Economic Recovery Taskforce (Logistics), The Times reported.

An exodus of European heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers following Brexit and the pandemic said to have combined to create a severe shortage of drivers which is disrupting the supplies throughout the country. The government is trying to address by speeding up the testing system to boost number of HGV drivers.

However, businesses have been calling on the government to ease immigration rules so that EU drivers can be employed to tackle the current crisis- a demand which the government has repeatedly turned down saying businesses should not “rely” on EU workers and should train and hire domestic workforce instead.

Meanwhile, Office of National Statistics (ONS) data released today (15) revealed inflation soared to its highest level in nearly a decade, increasing to 3.2 per cent in August, partly driven by higher prices for food caused by supply chain issues.

Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG said “record inflation is a sign of things to come” citing “recruitment difficulties, cost pressures for businesses, supply chain issues and structural changes post-Covid” as the reasons for higher inflation.

ONS data says that food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose by more than last year, helping to push up the rate.

Manufacturers are seeing huge cost rises of raw materials, with both input and output prices rising at the fastest rate for a decade, reports said. The concern is that these rises will in time be passed on to consumers.

Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson said: “People are already feeling the effects of inflation, in their weekly shop and at the petrol pump.

“The government must do all it can to secure the supply chains that keep our economy going, and shouldn’t be hitting families with a devastating cut to Universal Credit and tax rises," Phillipson said.

More for you

Two Liverpool shops fined for illegal vape sales
Photo: iStock

Two Liverpool shops fined for illegal vape sales

Two business owners have been slapped with fines after being found selling vapes to children at shops in Liverpool. Sanctions have been handed down to two men who appeared before Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Zahur Chaudhary, of Challoner Grove, was hit with a £250 fine after he was found to have sold a watermelon flavoured Elf Bar vape pen to a person under 18 at AF Newsagents on July 11. Chaudhary was also hit with costs of £250 and a £120 victim surcharge by magistrates.

Keep ReadingShow less
Police officers in Trafalgar Square, London

Police officers in Trafalgar Square, London

Photo: iStock

New Respect Orders to target repeat perpetrators of anti-social behaviour

The government on Friday announced that they will introduce new Respect Orders as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.

The measure, a modernised version of the anti-social behaviour orders that were introduced by the last Labour Government, is aimed at the most serious offenders who plague town centres and neighbourhoods with anti-social behaviour.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Faulty' pre-Horizon Post Office system led to hundreds of prosecutions

Exclusive: 'Faulty' pre-Horizon Post Office system led to hundreds of prosecutions

Ecco+, another pre-Horizon IT system that was introduced to post masters between 1992 and 1999, was also likely to be faulty due to which hundreds of sub postmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office, a leading sub postmaster representative has said.

Speaking to Asian Trader today (22), Calum Greenhow – Chief Executive Officer at National Federation of Sub Postmasters (NFSP) stated that Ecco+ system that was introduced between 1992 and 1999 also created problems for sub post masters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway Foundation UK donates £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Bestway Foundation UK donates £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Lord Zameer Choudrey CBE SI Pk, Chief Executive of Bestway Group, and Dawood Pervez, Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale, presented a cheque for £100,000 to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) at Bestway Group’s Head Office in Park Royal, London last week.

This significant contribution reflects Bestway's ongoing commitment to supporting impactful charitable initiatives that make a difference to the lives of young people across the UK. The presentation was attended by Ruth Marvel OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Laura Puddefoot-Knaggs, Head of Philanthropy and Clare Harris, Senior Relationships Manager from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Bestway Board of Directors, including Sir Anwar Pervez OBE H Pk, Chairman Bestway Group.

Keep ReadingShow less
GroceryAid: supporting grocery colleagues over the festive season

GroceryAid: supporting grocery colleagues over the festive season

As we head into the busiest time of the year for the grocery industry, GroceryAid is urging people to reach out to them if they find themselves struggling.

The charity helps grocery workers and their families through difficult times and offers a range of financial, emotional and practical support. This includes support for people facing stress, anxiety, low mood or loneliness, as well as debt advice and impartial financial support through GroceryAid’s online financial hub.

Keep ReadingShow less