Andrew Bridgen
(Picture: Parliament)Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has been roundly roasted after he appeared to blame Tony Blair and his higher education policies for the current shortage of lorry drivers.
Writing in the Express in a column entitled “Blair’s university drive is real reason behind HGV drivers shortage”the MP claimed that by encouraging people to go to university and by advocating “loose migration policies”, Blair undervalued vocational jobs leading to shortages years later.
My column in tomorrow’s Sunday Express.
— Andrew Bridgen (@ABridgen) July 31, 2021
Blair's university drive is real reason behind HGV drivers shortage - Andrew Bridgen https://t.co/jBQIMW7v2N
He said:
“For many years I have been raising the issue of the shortage of lorry drivers.
“The Government has its part to play here. For many years, well over half of graduates have found employment in non-graduate jobs, an issue exacerbated by New Labour’s fixation that half of young people should go to university. Blair’s target, together with loose migration policies, naturally placed less value on vocations and began the schism between the Labour Party and what were once their traditional supporters.
“To deliver on its levelling up agenda, the Government has to highlight the value of skilled manual vocations and start an honest conversation on the worth of many degree courses.”
It comes amid reports that there is a shortage of some 60,000 lorry driver, according to Road Haulage Association (RHA) estimates.
It estimated about 30,000 HGV driving tests were lost last year because of the Covid pandemic and the RHA also said that recruitment has been difficult in part due to European workers leaving the UK after Brexit.
Meanwhile, Arla, which supplies milk to about 2,400 stores each day in the UK, said it was unable to deliver to 600 shops last Saturday due to dwindling driver numbers caused by drivers being forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19.
Writing on Twitter, many people were quick to disagree with the MP and said he had simplified the reasons behind the shortage and had ignored these other causes. They also pointed out that Blair left office 14 years ago and so pointing to his policies seemed a bit odd:
So why was there no shortage during the whole of 2020 before the Transition Period ended?
— SydesJokes #FBPE #FBPPR 💙 🇬🇧🇩🇪🇸🇬🇫🇮🇪🇺 (@SydesJokes) July 31, 2021
Tony Blair left office 14 years ago. Your government have been in power for over 11 years. Do you ever take responsibility for what you’ve actually done?
— Sharon O'Dea (@sharonodea) August 1, 2021
If you really want to fix the lorry driver shortage, Andrew Bridgen-style, just get rid of all the lorries. Simples.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) August 1, 2021
Andrew Bridgen writes in tomorrow's Express that the Labour university expansion some years ago is the cause of today's lorry driver shortage.
— Gary Gilligan #BLM #FreeNazanin #GTTO #3.5% (@garygilligan) July 31, 2021
Everything you need to know about the Tories.
"If only they had known their station"...
Let’s just say Andrew Bridgen doesn’t put the articulate in articulated lorry
— John Cotter (@John_Cotter) July 31, 2021
Andrew Bridgen thinks too many people go to university but not enough study Latin at school.
— Seán Jones (@seanjonesqc) August 1, 2021
So what I've gathered from Andrew Bridgen so far is that we should have more lorry drivers who speak Latin.
— Undercover Elephant💙 🐘✊🌱 (@MrsNoone47) August 1, 2021
Have I got this correct as I only went to state school?
‘The reason we don’t have drivers, is because Labour educated too many people’
— Dave (@atouchofsense) July 31, 2021
That’s quite an election slogan
Hang on, I know this one. Wasn't it the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand? https://t.co/mXlrCae8TX
— Andy Grayson (@AndyGrays0n) July 31, 2021
And what's the reason for the current shortages of doctors, nurses, vets, civil engineers, biochemists, actuaries and graphic designers?
— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) August 1, 2021
Benjamin Disraeli's lorry driver incentives in the 1870s? https://t.co/MFdDZMcMiB
Tory MP here arguing that the reason there’s shortages in supermarkets now is because people like me and my peers had the opportunity to go to university and get better jobs.
— Sharon O'Dea (@sharonodea) August 1, 2021
Let’s not let people get ideas above their station in future, eh? https://t.co/0Ux8B6kx89
Lol - must have been in the “Other” column pic.twitter.com/Tth2c48W4X
— @BritRejoin #FBPE #Brejoin (@BritRejoin) July 31, 2021
Oh dear.
