The petrol crisis that has resulted in long queues of motorists at forecourts has been primarily blamed on panic-buying, but the government has also taken the opportunity to point the finger at an organisation that has long been a thorn in its side: the Road Haulage Association.
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said the panic was sparked after comments made by BP about dwindling stock levels at a Cabinet Office meeting were leaked by “one of the road haulage associations”.
And in case there was any ambiguity, sources briefed the Mail on Sunday that the RHA was “entirely responsible for this panic and chaos”.
The RHA says the allegation is false.
Rod McKenzie, the RHA’s policy and public affairs director, who was branded a “moaning remainer” by the unnamed source, did not attend the meeting and said he was only made aware of BP’s warning on its forecourt fuel stocks by media inquiries after the comments were reported on television.
McKenzie told the Guardian:
“It was already in the public domain. I said every time I was asked there is not a shortage of fuel. It’s just ridiculous, accusing me of causing people to panic-buy. It’s not fair.”
Elsewhere in the energy crisis, Shell Energy will take on 255,000 customers from Green, one of seven small energy suppliers that have collapsed in a wave of failures that have forced the energy regulator Ofgem to find new providers for 2 million customers.
Ofgem said former and current customers of Green would have any outstanding credit on their balance honoured under the agreement, with no interruption to supply predicted when Shell takes over on Monday.
Green was the sixth of seven energy suppliers to collapse since the beginning of August, after its chief executive, Peter McGirr, warned in the Guardian that the global rise in gas prices was going to result in a “tsunami” of failures.
In total, nine suppliers catering to nearly 2 million households between them have failed in 2021.
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No 10 is facing calls to give ambulance drivers, healthcare staff and other essential workers priority access to fuel after panic buying caused shortages across the UK.
With ministers due to meet on Monday afternoon to discuss the growing crisis, the British Medical Association (BMA) called for emergency measures to let medical staff fill up, warning that as pumps run dry “there is a real risk that NHS staff won’t be able to do their jobs”.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the chair of council at the BMA, said:
“Emergency and essential workers rely on fuel both to travel to work and for their work itself – whether this is to get to hospitals, practices and other healthcare settings, or for ambulances to reach people in urgent need of care and GPs to visit very ill patients at home.
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Source: Guardian
