BP has been forced to close several of its UK petrol stations due to a nationwide shortage of HGV drivers, leaving up to 100 forecourts short of at least one grade of fuel. The oil company confirmed that a handful of sites have temporarily shut entirely because of a lack of deliveries, with both unleaded and diesel grades affected.
Esso also reported that a small number of its petrol stations operated alongside Tesco Express stores were impacted, while some of the supermarket chain's own-branded sites experienced outages. Queues formed at petrol stations in London and Kent on Friday as motorists rushed to fill up, despite Downing Street insisting there was no fuel shortage.
The developments have intensified pressure on ministers already facing calls to address acute labour and supply chain shortages linked to Brexit and the pandemic. Businesses are urging the government to introduce a visa scheme to help meet demand for workers in road haulage and other sectors. Rod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association accused ministers of 'government by inertia', allowing the situation to worsen gradually.
A BP spokesperson apologised for any inconvenience, stating: 'We are experiencing fuel supply issues at some of our retail sites in the UK and unfortunately have therefore seen a handful of sites temporarily close due to a lack of both unleaded and diesel grades.' The prime minister's spokesperson acknowledged issues across several industries but said there was no need for concern, adding: 'It's important to restate that there's no shortage of fuel, so people should continue to buy it as usual.'
Opposition parties criticised the government's response. Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon condemned 'a rapidly worsening crisis that the government has failed to heed the warnings of for a decade', while Liberal Democrat business spokesperson Sarah Olney described the shortage as 'unprecedented' and urged ministers to abandon 'anti-immigration ideology' to get more drivers back in the UK. One Conservative MP from a red wall seat called for dramatic steps, including drafting in the military to keep goods flowing.
