Don’t panic buy as Britain not heading back to 1970s, shoppers told

A shortage of lorry drivers and carbon dioxide has left supermarkets short of produce across the country

The trucking industry needs another 90,000 drivers to meet demand after Brexit made it harder for European workers to drive in Britain

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A customer at a supermarket in London. Photo: AP

Published: 5:35pm, 23 Sep 2021Updated: 5:35pm, 23 Sep 2021

Consumers should not panic buy products as Britain is not heading back into a 1970s-style “winter of discontent” of strikes and power shortages, a junior minister said on Thursday.

Soaring wholesale European natural gas prices have sent shock waves through energy, chemicals and steel producers, and strained supply chains which were already creaking due a shortage of labour and the tumult of Brexit.

After gas prices triggered a carbon dioxide shortage, Britain was forced to extend emergency state support to avert a shortage of poultry and meat.

Tesco, Britain’s biggest supermarket group, told government officials last week the shortage of truck drivers would lead to panic buying in the run-up to Christmas if action was not taken.

Supermarket shelves of soft drinks were left empty in some places and turkey producers have warned that families could be left without their traditional turkey lunch at Christmas if the carbon dioxide shortage continues.

“There is no need for people to go out and panic buy,” Small Business Minister Paul Scully told Times Radio.

“Look, this isn’t a 1970s thing at all,” he said when asked if Britain was heading back into a winter of discontent – a reference to the 1978-79 winter when inflation and industrial action left the economy in chaos.

A shopper looks at empty shelves of the meat aisle at a supermarket in Harpenden, Britain. Photo: Reuters