Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would move forward in cooperation with his government to fulfill its pledge to end the high number of incoming migrants in the United Kingdom amid the region's devastating food, fuel, and labor shortages.
Johnson spoke at the Conservative Party's annual conference where he described the decision as a radical change for the British economy. The prime minister aimed to turn a new page over a decade of his own party's long-running rule. Johnson argued that the end of the high immigration rates needed to end because it had depressed wages and productivity.
UK's Growing Shortages
During his speech, the prime minister said that the country is now embarking on a renewed path that has been long overdue in the UK economy. He argued that the government would no longer allow the region to go back to the same old "broken model" that resulted in low wages, low growth, low skills, and low productivity. Johnson argued that uncontrolled immigration was the primary reason for the issues.
However, Johnson's announcement received widespread criticism with some traditional Conservative supporters working in business, agriculture, and proponents of free markets. The issue is made worse as the UK is currently experiencing a devastating food, fuel, and labor shortage, Fox Business reported.
The prime minister told delegates during his speech that the government was working to address the "biggest underlying issues of our economy and society." He said that authorities were ready and willing to tackle what no other government in UK history has tackled before.
The UK has been suffering from shortages of fuel deliveries in recent weeks, causing residents to panic buy products in long queues outside gas stations. The country has also been experiencing a shortage of food supplies that many warn could be even worse around Christmas.
The primary reason for the shortages is the lack of heavy goods vehicle drivers and overseas workers. Employers are struggling to retain staff amid the coronavirus pandemic and an elderly majority among their workers who are starting to cash in on their retirements, CNBC reported.
How to Solve the Issues
The shortage crisis has emphasized the UK's growing dependence on overseas, seasonal workers to drive its economic supplies. Johnson has received widespread criticism for allegedly not taking the situation seriously in the past.
Johnson and his government previously downplayed the severity of the labor shortage by placing the blame solely on the coronavirus pandemic and is seen in other countries. The UK government also claimed that the shortages could be fixed by things such as short-term visas to truck drivers.
The UK government has resisted many calls to get more immigrant workers and instead urged businesses to invest more into British employees. However, many employers have revealed that they have struggled to attract British workers because they are demanding higher wages and are unwilling to take tougher working conditions.
Johnson's government aims to re-skill British workers with the prime minister saying on Wednesday that authorities would commit to bringing high wages, high skills, high investment, and high growth to the economy, NBC Connecticut reported.
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