Did Boris have a secret agenda?

[gbnz]

It's incredible. A Tory Government have brought in a package of measures to dramatically cut the number of HGV journeys, block cars from being driven, expand immigration from abroad, dramatically cut even the CO2 being produced for industry whilst increasing the wages of the working class, their core benefits, handing everyone employed time off work on a state funded basis, whilst commencing suspending competition between commercial organisations

Oh yeah and using the army to support society, rather than fighting colonial wars abroad

Did Boris Johnson have a secret plan when he became PM of England?

[Oldjohnw]

It's incredible. A Tory Government have brought in a package of measures to dramatically cut the number of HGV journeys, block cars from being driven, expand immigration from abroad, dramatically cut even the CO2 being produced for industry whilst increasing the wages of the working class, their core benefits, handing everyone employed time off work on a state funded basis, whilst commencing suspending competition between commercial organisations

Oh yeah and using the army to support society, rather than fighting colonial wars abroad

Did Boris Johnson have a secret plan when he became PM of England?

I agree with your observation except in one detail: Johnson is PM of the UK.

[Jdsk]

... whilst increasing the wages of the working class, their core benefits...

Not sure about that bit... the combination of increased taxation of earnings, cuts to Universal Credit payments, and increased prices of energy and food is going to cause major increases in poverty.

But in general this style of authoritative populism is quite different from modern Conservatism. And we should respond accordingly.

Jonathan

[Paulatic]

I agree with your observation except in one detail: Johnson is PM of the UK.

Perhaps @gbnz's observation is correct.

[Oldjohnw]

I agree with your observation except in one detail: Johnson is PM of the UK.

Perhaps @gbnz's observation is correct.

Indeed. Perhaps it was a Freudian slip. He does,of course, set many laws which govern Scotland: trade, immigration, foreign policy, defence.

[merseymouth]

Hi GBNZ, Any rural worker will immediately recognized that you are talking a load of "Bill-hooks"! If any government actually got everything spot on the carpers would still belly ache, sure as night follows day!
Many posters demand that tax dodgers get hauled up, so when HMRC bring in IR35, which closed off a tax dodge employed by non-UK HGV drivers, it gets slagged off?
The largest factor in the driver shortage affects all of us who have a driving licence, the Covid factor at the DVLA. Poor turn-around of applications & renewals. I face that problem soon, as I reach 73, so must renew or lose?
The we have had a stoppage of Driver Testing in all categories, so it was an inevitability that many people would not have the licence to operate a motor vehicle.
So maybe we should heed Corporal Jones's message - "Don't Panic"! MM

[Jdsk]

The largest factor in the driver shortage affects all of us who have a driving licence, the Covid factor at the DVLA.

There are multiple factors, but the hauliers don't put the outbreak top.



Jonathan

[Oldjohnw]

No government gets everything right. But few get everything wrong.

[gbnz]

I agree with your observation except in one detail: Johnson is PM of the UK.

Hmm......Irony does come into play. Boris is a PM of England at present. Obviously given time he'd be PM of the shires

[661-Pete]

Did Boris Johnson have a secret plan when he became PM of England?

I agree with your observation except in one detail: Johnson is PM of the UK.

Nope. BoJo has no mandate in Scotland or NI - and it's dubious whether he has one in Wales. "England" is correct...

[Oldjohnw]

Odd how his government makes laws that govern Scotland. By your argument he has no mandate anywhere Labour have an MP.

[[XAP]Bob]

Did Boris Johnson have a secret plan when he became PM?

To believe that I would have to believe that he is capable of making a plan, and he has shown himself to be woefully incapable in that particular skill.

[PH]

There are multiple factors, but the hauliers don't put the outbreak top.

Considering that the hauliers could choose more than one reason, the surprising thing about that survey isn't that 359 of them thought Brexit was a factor, it's that 256 of them didn't.
Let's be clear, this is a survey of opinion, the question asked was "What do you believe to be the reasons behind the driver shortage? (Please select all applicable)" and 42% of them haven't selected "UK leaving the EU"
it would have been more informative if they'd asked how many drivers had left their employ and what reasons they'd given.

[Audax67]

No government gets everything right. But few get everything wrong.

Unless they only really seek to please the notorious 1% and are confident of their power to gull the electorate next time around. After all, it worked for Brexit and for Boris's election, why shouldn't it work every time?

[merseymouth]

As to the RHA's slant on the driver shortage I think of Mandy Rice Davis -"He would say that wouldn't he!".
The RHA has always assumed themselves to be infallible, sadly they never have been. I started out in road haulage nearly 60 years ago, when it really was rough. So I know only too well how much better the working conditions are for modern drivers. "Cab Hotel" was just a fiddle to up a drivers earnings, blind eye offered to read dodgy receipts, very rough. But the in cab accommodation in modern vehicles is much more like a Japanese Cubical Hotel, plenty of mod cons, only loo and shower absent.
Back in my early years working hours were much more of an issue, very-long spells at the wheel, not monitoring. Then came the tachograph, better but not tamper proof. These days with all of the tech the real pain in the rectum for drivers is that everything is under the beedy eye of the boss, but the honest driver has that as back-up over Disputes. Much safer, yet that will also bring safety issues because the vehicles are easier to keep going. The real stress is due to the larger footprint, so manoeuvrability is much more stressful.
But in my view the pressure applied by the big supermarkets with their "Unloading Slots" creates a real problem for even the best driver. Any delay caused by outside issues, such as weather, congestion, or as is current stupid road closures due to the protesters!
No driver wants to suffer delays which screw up their delivery schedule, but to be knocked back after busting a gut to be on time must be very galling?
No, I wouldn't get involved in the modern supply chain, damned for being subject to so many outside pressures. But at least few modern drivers have to go around trying to drumup return loads, hich was the case back in days of old! TTFN MM