This government’s policy always seems to be ‘too little, too late’

Rocketing energy costs are being met with inaction and yet another levy, while the industry pleads for help and prepares to shut down. We have empty shelves due to a lack of HGV drivers, in substantial part due to Brexit non-returnees. Shortages of abattoir workers (linked to Brexit – again) has led to the culling of healthy pigs on farms.

The nation is in deep crisis and effective measures are needed, but all we get is a posturing buffoon (who clearly hasn’t a clue about how to deal with real problems) at the head of an incompetent administration whose only consistent policy is “too little, too late”. The government pretends there isn’t a problem, tries to blame someone else – and then panics!

Isn’t it time this utterly useless administration stepped aside and made way for a government in favour of national recovery, comprising all the parties and working together in the national interest – and not just that of the Conservative Party and its cronies?

Can anyone doubt that our first past the post electoral system is completely broken when you see the sort of embarrassingly inept government it has produced?

Arthur Streatfield

Bath

As far as homegrown food is concerned, the Johnson government has got the wrong end of the stick, as usual.

It blames farmers, abattoirs and haulage firms for relying on cheap immigrant labour and failing to train UK nationals to pick vegetables and butcher pigs. Yet during the Brexit transition period, we heard no government advice about training Brits. Now the government snaps its fingers and expects instant change. Short-term visas will do nothing to solve the problem.

If labour costs go up and wholesale prices have to rise in turn, supermarkets will merely look abroad for supplies – if that is, they can persuade HGV drivers to cross the Channel. British farmers and abattoirs will go bust and homegrown food will be threatened further.

By forcing down wholesale prices, supermarkets have had to take much of the blame for the current crisis. How ironic it is, then, that Boris Johnson has appointed former Tesco boss, Sir David Lewis, to find a solution to the food supply shortage.

Ian Reid

Kilnwick