HGV shortage: Govt 'created this crisis' through inaction, Angela Rayner says

25 September 2021, 08:11 | Updated: 25 September 2021, 08:29

Angela Rayner: Govt U-turn on HGV crisis 'acknowledgement of failure'

The Labour Deputy Leader insists that 'completely avoidable' HGV shortages are due to government failing to heed warnings.

Andrew Castle put to Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner that "short-term visas may be granted" to people coming to the UK to work as HGV drivers as shortages cripple British supply chains.

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"It just shows the government were in complete chaos when, you know, policies they’ve implemented created this shortage in the first place" the Shadow Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster noted.

"I’ve said before that the government see low-paid workers as low-skilled and HGV drivers are highly skilled."

She summarised that the u-turn is an "acknowledgement of their failure".

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"We shouldn’t have got to this place. It was completely avoidable", Ms Rayner told Andrew.

The Labour Deputy Leader added that the government have "created this crisis" by failing to act on warnings from the opposition. "Same in terms of the energy crisis, they were warned."

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Ms Rayner told Andrew Castle that government have "dilly-dallied and not dealt with the issues" and reiterated that by allowing people to come to the UK to work as HGV drivers is "an acknowledgement of their failure".