Boris Johnson News Live: ‘Inappropriate’ to stop universal credit reduction, PM says

The fuel crisis is now mainly affecting London and the south-east, while “the general improvement” in the situation in the rest of the country has continued, said the chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association.

Brain Madderson said there were only “one or two dry sites” north of London, but the situation in the capital and the South East remained difficult.

“It’s all really about the population, we have over 25 million people living in and around London [and the] home counties, ”Madderson told Sky News.

He said it was one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, adding: “Of course to go with that, we have a massive amount of delivery vans, a massive amount of vehicles, and that. is just the chronic situation. “

Boris Johnson declined to rule out a supply chain disruption until Christmas because he predicted the holiday season would be “considerably better” than last year.

Speaking at a youth club in east Manchester, Mr Johnson told broadcasters: ‘Christmas, let me tell you this.

“I am very confident that this Christmas will be considerably better.”

Asked whether this prediction was a low bar given the number of people banned from seeing their family members last December, the Prime Minister added: “This country is in fact the world leader in logistics and chains. supply. We have very good supply chains.

“Where there are issues that we can help with, we will do whatever we can.”

Boris Johnson admitted he was warned of the shortage of heavy truck drivers currently causing disruption to businesses across the country “a long, long, long time ago.”

On the BBC Andrew Marr Show, the Prime Minister blamed the crisis on employers, who, he said, have not invested in the wages and working conditions of drivers for a number of years.

Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:

Tory President Oliver Dowden has said Tories must demonstrate to 2019 voters that they will “get on with the job and deliver on” key commitments amid party concerns over Boris Johnson’s “big-spend” government.

“We need to demonstrate to the people who trusted us in 2019, who voted for us in places where they have never voted for us before, that we are actually going to continue the work and deliver,” Mr. Dowden said, when asked about the concern in the party.

“I think what you will see during this conference are announcements and speeches that explain how we do just that. “

You can find his comments below:

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has urged the government to postpone the end of the £ 20 per week increase for universal credit until spring 2022.

“Even if the government is determined to do it, I would urge them to think about it during the winter period, not now,” Sir Iain said.

The former secretary for work and pensions, who was seen as the main supporter of the policy in the 2010s, has already said he wants the £ 86 per month increase to become permanent.

“Think about it in February, March, when they are approaching the budget, when they know what the cost of living is, when they know what inflation is, when they know what the market difficulties are”, added the Conservative MP.

“Far better to wait and see where we are, because we know that things are moving in the wrong direction in these terms and that it will affect the poorest in society the most.

“We have to make sure we keep the supports for them. “

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham gave his support to Sir Keir Starmer after it was reported that the politician’s allies had given the Labor leader 12 months to turn his party’s electoral tide.

When asked by Andrew Marr of the BBC if he supported the statement: “Keir Starmer is doing a good job and I am not going to continue his work in any way”, Mr Burnham replied: “I agree with that. “

Our journalist, Tom Batchelor, has the full story below:

Boris Johnson said the UK faces a “post-Brexit adjustment period” in an effort to secure higher wages and better conditions amid persistent shortages.

The prime minister admitted on Sunday that Rishi Sunak was “right” that the shortages of goods and workers could last until Christmas.

However, Mr Johnson told the BBC Andrew Marr Show: ‘When people voted for change in 2016 and when people voted for change again in 2019, they voted to end a broken model of the UK economy that relied on low wages, low skills and chronic low productivity – and we’re getting far from that.

Specifically on the issue of fuel shortages, he added: “It has subsided and what you are hearing now from the Petrol Retailers’ Association is that the supplies are coming to the forecourt.”

Boris Johnson has insisted he will not reverse his plans to cut social benefits by £ 20 a week for the poorest families, saying he will not raise taxes to subsidize low wages.

The PM’s comments come amid unease among Tory MPs over the government’s attitude to taxation, which is expected to disproportionately affect poorer households.

Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below: