John Redwood
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)A Tory MP has been roundly roasted for coming up with a ‘solution’ for the lorry driver crisis that didn’t quite hit the mark.
Following news of continued shortages in supermarkets and food-chains, John Redwood, the MP for Wokingham piped up to offer his two cents on the issue today. He said businesses should simply “recruit more” drivers and pay them more as well.
Business can solve the driver shortage by raising wages and improving working conditions. Just recruit and train some more.
— John Redwood (@johnredwood) August 26, 2021
It comes after supermarkets and food-chains have struggled through a disruptive summer with staff shortages causing supply-chain issues causing chains to temporarily discontinue items or close stores. Nando’s, Subway, Iceland and KFC are among those affected.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has said that there is a shortage of drivers because of coronavirus forcing people to self-isolate and creating a backlog of people waiting to take their driver’s tests. They also note that Brexit has been a contributory factor - both because of new immigration rules limiting the number of qualified drivers who can enter the country and because it has led EU citizens to leave the country.
Industry bodies including the British Retail Consortium and Logistics UK have repeatedly called on the government to issue temporary visas and allow EU workers to plug the gap but the government has issued similar lines to Redwood and told the businesses to “invest in our domestic workforce”.
It is difficult to recruit and train lorry drivers in the midst of a supply-chain issue so Redwood was comprehensively roasted, including by businessperson, Deborah Meaden, for his rather long-term take.
Right. Let’s just do that then.🙄. Sorted. https://t.co/9gMsg1O4z9
— Deborah Meaden 💙 (@DeborahMeaden) August 26, 2021
How long does it take to recruit and train HGV driver, John?
— OAP Nigel 💙 (@FearlessOAP) August 26, 2021
I assume you know otherwise you wouldn’t suggest it as a solution.
Are you really being serious? Recruiting and training takes years, and we don't have that time to wait to get food to the supermarkets. Raising wages sounds great, but it has a knock on effect on prices, inflation etc. Do you understand any economics, John?
— ExToryAgent 🇬🇧🏴🇪🇺 (@AgentTory) August 26, 2021
Simplistic twat. His solution would only result in higher prices to the consumer. Clearly this knighted moron is no economist but just a liar. https://t.co/TfTmhWg4KT
— Jeremy Alexander (@jezzeralexander) August 26, 2021
Meanwhile, others wondered why a Tory MP was campaigning for businesses to pay their workers more.
John Redwood is so desperate to hide the truth of Brexit that he's becoming a socialist! https://t.co/eyhJqqw5dm
— Ser Liam Holman 🇪🇺🇬🇧🏴 (@serliamholman) August 26, 2021
In 2014 John Redwood threatened businesses with punishment if they spoke out against Brexit. Were others making such threats out of public view? Very few businesses spoke out against Brexit. There is reason to believe that intimidation perverted democracy and affected the vote. pic.twitter.com/b8jS4JwEU1
— Nick Reeves #FBPA #FBPE #ProgressiveAlliance (@nickreeves9876) August 26, 2021
John Redwood becomes a socialist in order to compensate for Brexit. 😂 https://t.co/9CcsFAPnmz
— Paul Budding (@Paul_Budding_) August 26, 2021
Redwood is not the only Tory MP who has spun the wheel and chosen a cause and solution for the shortage at random, or at least it appears this way. Andrew Bridgen recently penned an earnest column blaming Tony Blair - a man who has not been the Prime Minister for 14 years - for the shortage, because apparently he encouraged too many people to go to university.
As a result, we are sure the owners of Iceland, KFC, Subway et al are raising a glass to toast the MPs for their help - if they can get supplies to fill the glass, of course.
The representatives of the people, ladies and gentlemen.
