BP - We Have To Close Petrol Stations...

[Mordac]

I wonder how IR35 can have such a big impact if your hourly rate is £20 (probably more like 15) there surely is hardly any impact on your total nett tax position

The cost (and it's eye-watering) of becoming and remaining qualified to be an HGV driver are no longer tax-deductible, and have to be paid out of net salary. HGV drivers are generally not paid any expenses, which wasn't much of an issue when they could offset such costs against tax, but now is very much an issue. The average age of drivers is about 58, so anyone who can afford to retire has done so. It's a problem which will take years to fix, and driver rates will have to go up significantly.

[BlasterBates]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f...apse-k9f9zxbr5

One of Britain’s biggest oil refineries is teetering on the brink of collapse, piling further potential pressure on crisis-riven petrol stations.

Oh dear

[xoggoth]

Brexit is the joint main reason for the driver shortage

True enough I daresay but then if we hadn't handed all these jobs to Eastern Europeans prepared to work for low wages in the first place we wouldn't have the problem. Not easy and it will take time, but heading back to a nation more reliant on our own workers is the right direction IMO.

Our workers deserve their fair share of the nation's wealth with decent wages, they should not have to compete with imports from poorer nations.

[lorakeen]

I can't remember if it was in the slaver or the torygraph yesterday but the working conditions have gradually eroded such that it's simply no longer an attractive job any more. The likes of Tesco outsourced a lot of their fleet to Stobart who cut rates and benefits, sacked a load of people and then brought in cheaper labour from elsewhere who were happy to take peanuts.

and then the cheap labour realised they were being shortcharged and left for greener pastures

[xoggoth]

I can't remember if it was in the slaver or the torygraph yesterday but the working conditions have gradually eroded such that it's simply no longer an attractive job any more.

Indeed. Been a lot of news in last few years about lorries being banned from towns, lack of parking, toilet facilities etc. Inneresting article in kentlive describes some of the issues.

https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-...-kents-5971366

[ladymuck]

I do hope they went ka-boom

https://metro.co.uk/video/idiots-bin.../?ito=vjs-link

[vetran]

This one amused me

https://metro.co.uk/video/woman-orde...etrol-2513555/

Video: Woman orders Nando's delivery while queuing for petrol

Hungry driver leaves fellow motorists in hysterics as she gets a Nando's delivered directly to her car while queuing for two hours to get fuel.

[Scorp1]

True enough I daresay but then if we hadn't handed all these jobs to Eastern Europeans prepared to work for low wages in the first place we wouldn't have the problem. Not easy and it will take time, but heading back to a nation more reliant on our own workers is the right direction IMO.

Our workers deserve their fair share of the nation's wealth with decent wages, they should not have to compete with imports from poorer nations.

They do deserve better wages . Good for them

[OwlHoot]

I do hope they went ka-boom

https://metro.co.uk/video/idiots-bin.../?ito=vjs-link

God, I thought the Mail Online was a bit down market. But the Metro is Chav City!

[ladymuck]

God, I thought the Mail Online was a bit down market. But the Metro is Chav City!

The Metro is hilarious. I helps that it doesn't take itself seriously, whereas the Fail thinks it's a real newspaper.