Monthly Archives: August 2021

(Reuters) British ministers will consider easing post-Brexit immigration rules to help end a shortage of truck drivers amid mounting pressure from supermarket chains, The Times newspaper reported.

A review of the shortage occupation list, which gives employers more flexibility to hire overseas recruits, could be brought forward to tackle an estimated shortfall of 100,000 drivers, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed government source.

The review was due next year but may be fast-tracked to add heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers to the list, the report added.

The Financial Times newspaper reported earlier on Friday that ministers have told businesses to hire UK-based workers to address the countrys chronic shortage of lorry drivers.

British retailers, cafes and restaurants are struggling to cope with a shortage https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-could-face-food-shortages-due-lorry-driver-crisis-2021-06-25 of drivers and food processing staff after COVID-19.

The problem is not unique to Britain the United States and other European countries also have truck driver shortages but Brexit has made matters worse, industry groups say https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/fast-food-chain-nandos-temporarily-shuts-over-40-uk-outlets-2021-08-17.

McDonalds, KFC, bakery chain Greggs and chicken restaurant chain Nandos have all recently faced disruptions in their supplies.

Unprecedented shortages of both staff and materials are hampering Britains post-lockdown economic rebound, a closely watched economic survey showed on Monday.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry)

Excerpt from:

UK mulls easing post-Brexit immigration rules to end truck driver shortage -The Times - KFGO News

A post-Brexit data-sharing agreement between the European Union and Britain that underpins cross-border businesses and services could be immediately terminated if London diverges too much from privacy standards, the European Commission has warned.

It follows an announcement of plans by the UK government to reform its data laws and reduce unnecessary barriers and burdens to sharing data with non-EU countries including the United States and South Korea.

British newspapers that were briefed on the plans reported that the reforms would involve scrapping aspects of EU data protection standards, called GDPR. However, the UK government said it intended to achieve its reforms while maintaining equivalence with the EUs data standards, in a press release.

The EUs stamp of approval of Britains data standards is vital for many Irish businesses that operate cross-Border as well as North-South healthcare provision, which rely on the seamless sending of personal data into the UK.

The European Commission announced just two months ago that it had reached so-called data adequacy decisions regarding the UK, meaning the data flows could continue as it judged British data protection standards to be essentially equivalent to those of the EU.

A European Commission spokesman said the executive would monitor very closely any developments related to UK data protection rules.

When adopting the UK adequacy decisions, the Commission was fully aware of the risk of possible further divergence of the UK system from the EU system, said spokesman Christian Wigand.

In case of problematic developments that negatively affect the level of protection found adequate, the adequacy decision can be suspended terminated or amended, at any time by the commission, he added.

This can be done immediately in case of justified urgency. So we will continue to ensure that Europeans data will be protected by strong safeguards when crossing the channel.

When the commission announced its adequacy decision in June it acknowledged concerns raised by the European Parliament, member states, and the European Data Protection Board that Britain could diverge from EU standards in the future, putting EU citizens data at risk.

If Britain signed data-sharing agreements with non-EU countries, these would have to be continually monitored to ensure that they do not undermine the level of protection of personal data provided for in the EU by exposing EU citizens data, the European Data Protection Board warned in April.

The UK government has said it hopes to make its data laws more ambitious and innovation-friendly and aims to sign data adequacy arrangements allowing for the free transfer of data with the US, Australia, Korea, Singapore, the Dubai International Finance Centre and Colombia.

EU member states have long harboured concerns about whether the UKs approach to data protection could expose EU citizens to surveillance by overseas intelligence services.

In the absence of a data adequacy decision, companies must use standard contractual clauses to send data, a contract that commits the organisation receiving the data to observing EU standards, and gives the individuals who the data relates to the ability to pursue legal complaints.

Alternatively, binding corporate rules can be used by large firms or company groups to transfer data internally and externally but either approach adds cost and complexity to businesses.

Follow this link:

EU warns over post-Brexit data agreement with UK - The Irish Times

I have seen an early draft of the leader of the oppositions speech to his party conference. This is the paragraph that caught my eye: Instead of talking about the things that most people care about, we talked about what we cared about most. While parents worried about childcare, getting the kids to school, balancing work and family life, we were banging on about Brexit.

Yes, that was David Camerons speech to the Conservative conference in 2006 about why his party kept losing elections, only he didnt say Brexit, he said Europe. But it is a good starting point for Keir Starmer as he writes his big speech to the Labour conference in Brighton next month.

The Labour leader is in receipt of advice from Andrew Adonis, the former cabinet minister who is now chair of the European Movement. The noble lord said this morning: It is clearer and clearer that Brexit has to be reversed, step by step, to prevent a social and economic calamity in Britain.

There will be many activists at Labour conference who agree with him, and think that Starmer ought to be more forceful in pointing out the disastrous effects that leaving the EU is already having. Lord Adonis went on: Our politicians, Labour as much as Tory, are refusing to talk about the real cause of the empty supermarket shelves Brexit. In a democracy you cant escape from the truth for long.

Starmer stands accused of being so embarrassed by his attempt as shadow Brexit secretary to stop Britain leaving the EU that he is muffling his criticism of Boris Johnsons hard Brexit now that it has happened.

He is, I think, right to be embarrassed. The Labour position at the last election, for which he was largely responsible, was absurd. It was that a Labour government would renegotiate the terms of our withdrawal from the EU and put the deal to the people in another referendum, in which Starmer would be urging the voters to reject the deal he had just negotiated and stay in the EU.

You can see why he and his shadow ministers are cautious about suggesting they want to reopen the withdrawal agreement and the trade deal, let alone to go the whole Adonis and seek to rejoin the EU. When not even the Liberal Democrats dare to exploit the large but definitely limited minority devoted to rejoining the EU, it would take a reckless Labour leader to do so.

And you can see why Starmer is reluctant even to suggest that Brexit is the real cause of empty supermarket shelves. We told you and we were right is an unattractive message to people who voted Conservative last time and whose support Labour needs next time. As someone who wore a Dont blame me, I voted Labour badge after the 1983 election, I can confirm that its persuasive power was less than zero.

But there is a more important reason Labour should avoid blaming Brexit for shortages of everything from milkshakes to medical equipment which is that its not really true. The increased checks at the border may have had a slight effect, and it may be that Brexit has made continental lorry drivers feel less welcome here, but the shortage of lorry drivers seems to be overwhelmingly a result of the disruption of the pandemic.

Many British drivers have retired, central European ones have often decided to stay local, and staff absences have slowed the issue of HGV licences. The main non-pandemic cause, which is coincidentally unique to Britain, is a change in the tax treatment of drivers who set themselves up as limited companies, further reducing the already squeezed earnings of the job.

But the main cause is the shock of migrant workers returning home and sectors of the economy shutting down because of the pandemic. As Jonathan Portes, professor of economics at Kings College London, said: It would frankly have been astonishing if this hadnt resulted in major disruption to both the supply and demand of workers in the affected sectors, and hence labour shortages.

Lorry driver shortages are a problem all over Europe and in the US. The disruption of the labour market in the US has been in some ways even greater than here because we had furlough. As Bloomberg reported drily, the pandemic has reduced the appeal of in-person employment in the US.

Portes, who is no Brexiteer, concluded that labour shortages in the UK have little to do with Brexit. Indeed, he goes further, to disagree with the Brexiteers counter-argument, which is that labour shortages are a good thing and that part of the point of leaving the EU was to push up wages, especially for the lower-paid. If we look at the actual data, rather than anecdote, we dont see much to suggest a wage explosion, he wrote. Real wages in the accommodation and food services sector are still below their pre-pandemic levels.

Portes argues, with most economists, that Brexit will damage the British economy; that it will make us poorer than we would otherwise be (although not poorer than we were before Brexit); and that it is unlikely to do much to equalise wages. But these are long-term effects, not to be confused with short-term disruption, which is almost all the result of the pandemic.

Starmer is quite right to ignore the advice of Lord Adonis, and to listen to David Cameron instead, by not banging on about Brexit. After all, Cameron did get to be prime minister, albeit in a hung parliament, which is about the best that Starmer can hope for.

More here:

Why Keir Starmer is right not to bang on about Brexit - The Independent

The UK withdrew from the European trading bloc last year after a majority of the British public voted to leave in the 2016 referendum on EU membership. Since Brexit became reality last year, the Government has signed a string of trade deals with other non-EU nations. The country is also getting used to the effects that some experts say Brexit is having on food supply chains.

One person who warned about the impact of Brexit on the UK was Donald Tusk, former President of the European Council, the EUs political wing.

The former politician spoke for the 2019 BBC documentary, Inside Europe: 10 Years of Turmoil, which charted the UKs journey out of the EU.

Speaking for the show, Mr Tusk recalled a conversation he had with then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

The pair spoke as the results of the referendum showed that 52 percent of the British public had voted to leave the EU.

JUST IN:Nicola Sturgeon's EU obsession mocked in savage BBC skit: 'Blood's thicker than Juncker'

Mr Tusk said: David Cameron called me, and he informed me that he was ready to resign.

I said yes David, it would be very difficult even to imagine that a prime minister who was the leader of the Remain campaign would be just two days later the prime minister negotiating Brexit.

It was like his day of reckoning was coming, reckoning for his biggest mistake in his life.

Mr Cameron backed Remain in a bid to see off Euroscepticism among some Tory MPs and provide an answer to the Conservative Partys decades-old questions of EU membership.

He claimed that the EUs failure to grant him concessions, including on immigration, had swung the vote in favour of leaving the bloc.

Many are so-called rollover deals with nations that the UK already had agreements with when it was part of the EU.

However, the UK has also inked new deals, including a huge free-trade agreement with Australia the first the Government has negotiated from scratch since Brexit.

The agreement means British products such as Scotch whisky and cars will be cheaper to sell in Australia.

In recent weeks however, some industry bosses have claimed that Brexit has disrupted supply chains to the UK.

Some supermarkets and trade associations have warned that there could be food shortages unless the Government eases post-Brexit visa rules for EU workers.

The chairman of Tesco, the UKs biggest supermarket, has said that more HGV drivers are needed to meet a shortfall of almost 100,000.

However, the Government has so far stood firm on the situation and its will to honour the result of the Brexit vote.

A Home Office spokesperson said: The British people repeatedly voted to end free movement and take back control of our immigration system.

Employers should invest in our domestic workforce instead of relying on labour from abroad.

See the original post:

EU chiefs Brexit warning: UKs day of reckoning for biggest ever mistake - Daily Express

Related video: Nandos temporarily closes stores across UK due to supply issues

The UK and the European Union can still find sensible solutions to issues over Northern Irelands post-Brexit trading arrangements with the right political will,IrishPrime Minister Micheal Martin has said.

A positive and constructive future partnership is in everyones interests but it will only be delivered if there is a relationship of trust and a willingness to deliver on commitments entered into, Mr Martin said after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The EU had demonstrated commitment, patience and creativity in its work to implement the withdrawal agreement and the protocol, he added.

It comes as supermarkets and hauliers have issued a warning to shoppers that supply struggles could mean they face long-term higher food prices.

A shortfall of around 100,000 drivers, which has been driven by thousands of European drivers leaving during the pandemic and not returning, as well as high numbers of workers retiring, is being blamed for the trouble, hauliers told PA.

Good morning, and welcome to The Independents rolling Brexit coverage. Stay tuned as we delve into the food shortages affecting Britains fat food chains and supermarkets.

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 07:58

Britains post-Brexit supply chain crisis could cancel Christmas and continue to cause food shortages well into 2022, industry leaders have warned.

Boris Johnsons government has been urged to ease immigration rules so some EU citizens who left the UK during Brexit can return and help fill major gaps in the workforce, report Adam Forrest and Holly Bancroft.

The head of the Co-op supermarket said on Wednesday that current food shortages were the worst he had ever seen, while Icelands boss warned that supply disruption could see Christmas cancelled for some families this year.

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 08:04

Coral Rose, managing director of the Country Group foodservice group, spoke to BBC R4s Today programme this morning.

She explained how food shortages were impacting their customers, which include care homes and schools, and what was being done to try and remedy the situation.

We have two problems: supply of products into our warehouses and supply from our warehouses to customers, Coral Rose, managing director of the Country Group foodservice group, told BBC R4s Today programme earlier. When we are having trouble getting the supply of a particular product, well then speak to someone else and try and source it from elsewhere. So, we might not be able to get the customer the brand they like but we do everything to ensure they can supply their customers.

It isnt easy, though, Ms Rose warned. Were working incredibly hard and we have to ensure, for example, that for every substituted product, there is no change to allergens , because thats very important to take note of. So were trying our very best.

She added: Were taking drastic action, such as buying smaller delivery vehicles to ensure drivers dont need special HGV licenses, because there is going to be increased pressure as schools reopen and people continue to holiday in the UK.

Asked if this was bad for the environment, due to the risk of increasing the number of cars on the road, Ms Rose admitted it wasnt the ideal situation but said it was all we can do to service our clients properly.

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 08:12

Ministers are under pressure to relax post-Brexit migration rules to unblock Britains worst supply-chain crisis since the 1970s, with business leaders warning that continued disruption could ruin Christmas, according to a report.

Industry bosses said urgent changes to the visa system were required as retailers struggle to keep shelves stocked, and restaurants run out of food and drink in the meltdown triggered by Covid and Brexit, according to The Guardian.

Estimates put the shortage of workers needed to drive lorries, handle goods in warehouses and pick fruit and vegetables at hundreds of thousands. Company bosses and trade groups are now warning that if ministers refuse to allow more EU workers into the UK, they risk a deeper crisis this winter.

An analysis of ONS labour market figures by the newspaper confirms the extent of the fall in eastern Europeans in the UK workforce since the start of the pandemic, and after Britain left the EU earlier this year.

The number of Romanian and Bulgarian workers in the UK, who would typically fill food production roles, has plunged by almost 90,000 since the end of 2019, the investigation found. Employees from eight eastern European countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, have fallen by more than 100,000, or 12 per cent too.

Meanwhile, industry sources told the paper that in addition to lorry driver shortages, there was a lack of tens of thousands of seasonal agricultural workers, and 14,000 needed in meat-processing plants.

Supermarkets are concerned about the demands expected from schools reopening and the holiday season

(PA Wire)

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 08:31

Social media users have begun reacting to the news that Brexit-caused food shortages are taking Britain by storm.

Having worked in food logistics until recently, I can assure you that the primary reason for acute driver shortage is that drivers from the EU have returned home due to poorer / exchange post referendum, one man wrote.

Another said the government was trying to blame the pandemic for what was clearly a Brexit issue.

Elsewhere, someone criticised ministers for attempting to take our country back, which we hadnt lost in the first place via the divorce deal.

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 08:35

While the country is hardly on the brink of famine, it is clear that the UK has a problem getting food to where it needs to be and the situation looks set to worsen.

Icelands boss is among those to have raised the prospect of empty supermarket shelves at Christmas thanks to an ongoing shortage of lorry drivers, writes Ben Chapman.

However, the causes of empty shelves are also more complicated than just a shortage of lorry drivers, Ed Sweeney, professor of logistics at Aston Business School, told The Independent.

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 09:01

The government will scrap pointless web cookie requests as part of a move to replace the EUs data laws with a new post-Brexit regime, a Cabinet minister has said.

Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, unveiled a string of new measures designed to harness the power of data to drive growth and create jobs.

The move will see large parts of the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) scrapped in a bid to cut down on red tape and deliver a so-called Brexit dividend.

Mr Dowden told The Telegraph he planned to get rid of pointless bureaucracy such as cookie requests while also upholding privacy.

Theres an opportunity for us to set world-leading, gold standard data regulation which protects privacy, but does so in as light touch a way as possible, he said.

A consultation into the future of the UKs data regime will be launched in the coming weeks.

As part of the reforms, the government also named New Zealand privacy commissioner John Edwards as its preferred candidate to lead the UK data watchdog.

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 09:42

It isnt just Greggs experiencing shortages. McDonalds have not been able to put a time frame on when their signature milkshakes will be back on the menu, but simply said they were working to return them as soon as possible.

The fast-food chain has run out of milkshakes and bottled drinks in all its 1,250 British outlets after being hit by supply chain shortages, reports Holly Bancroft.

A spokesperson for the retailer told The Independent in a statement: We are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products. Bottled drinks and milkshakes are temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales.

Read the full piece here:

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 09:55

Channel 4s Ciaran Jenkins reports the following:

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 10:10

Sam Hancock26 August 2021 10:22

Read the original here:

Brexit news: Irish PM says still possible to find sensible solutions to NI Protocol issues - The Independent