UK PM Boris Johnson may deploy army to address fuel crisis
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Fuel crisis in UK is getting worse. Boris Johnson is due to think on Operation Escalin, a plan designed earlier to address situation arising from a no-deal Brexit. The fuel crisis has been made worse by panic buying from the public
If an emergency plan made by UK government is put to action by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, hundreds of British soldiers could be drafted to deliver fuel to fuel stations across the country. The fuel stations are running dry due to shortage and panic buying.
Johnson is expected to go in a huddle with senior members of the cabinet to decide on activating Operation Escalin. The meeting has been called after British Petroleum (BP) said that a third of its petrol stations had run out of main two grades of fuel. Association of petroleum retailers has said that 50-90 per cent of their members have reported having run out of fuel.
Operation Escalin was conceived years ago to be prepared for a no-deal Brexit. If the operation is put to action now, it will see hundreds of British soldiers being drafted to drive a reserve fleet of 80 tankers. The operation may take three weeks to be fully implemented.
UK Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, transport secretary Grant Shapps and home secretary Priti Patel held a meeting on Sunday to address the fuel crisis.
UK ministers reportedly believe that the fuel shortage would have been minimal had there been no panic buying from the public. But media reports about the crisis have led to people standing in long queues to buy fuel.