Britain's Brexit-Induced Shortages: A Growing Menace to the Economy

Britain is facing a perfect storm of shortages, courtesy of Boris Johnson's Brexit, that is threatening to cripple its economy. From the collapse of the food supply chain to the shortage of skilled workers, especially in the engineering sector, the implications are dire. The country's woes began even before the final departure from the European single market at the end of last year, and were abundantly clear from the plunge in net migration to the UK from EU countries in the years following the Brexit vote.

Key Takeaways:

• The UK is facing a severe shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the engineering sector, due to the loss of experienced employees who left the country after the Brexit vote.
• The Road Haulage Association has warned that the driver shortage for heavy goods vehicles in the UK has reached "catastrophic proportions," with about 15,000 European lorry drivers having left the country since the beginning of the year.
• Tesco has revealed that driver shortages have led to 48 tonnes of food being wasted in the last seven days, equivalent to around two truck-loads of food.
• The Scottish Engineering Chief Executive Paul Sheerin has highlighted the major challenge of skills shortages in this key sector, citing Brexit as a significant factor.
• The CBI's Director-General Tony Danker has flagged signs of "labour shortages everywhere," highlighting this as a potential barrier to UK competitiveness over the long term.
• The Boris Johnson administration is being criticized for its inaction in addressing the shortages, with some accusing it of prioritizing ideology over common sense.
• The UK's economy is likely to suffer significantly in the long run if the shortages are not addressed, with experts warning of a hit to living standards and economic growth.

Statistics:

• 15,000 European lorry drivers have left the UK since the beginning of the year, driven by Brexit-related factors. (Source: Road Haulage Association)
• 48 tonnes of food were wasted in the last seven days due to driver shortages, equivalent to around two truck-loads of food. (Source: Tesco)
• The estimated shortage of HGV drivers is over 100,000, which is a crisis point for critical supply chains. (Source: Road Haulage Association)
• The UK's economy is likely to suffer significantly in the long run if the shortages are not addressed. (Source: CBI)

Sources:

• Road Haulage Association, "Catastrophic" lorry driver shortage hits UK supply chains
• Tesco, Driver shortages lead to 48 tonnes of food waste in seven days
• The Herald, "Labour shortages everywhere", CBI director-general Tony Danker warns
• Scottish Engineering, Skills shortages in engineering sector due to Brexit, says Paul Sheerin
• CBI, Labour shortages everywhere, warns CBI director-general Tony Danker
• The Guardian, Brexit: the impact on the UK's economy and society