Boris Johnson is preparing to draft in hundreds of soldiers to tackle the UK’s fuel crisis as at least half of petrol stations outside the motorway network have run out of fuel after Britons engaged in panic buying (The Financial Times £).
The prime minister will gather senior members of the cabinet to scrutinise “Operation Escalin” after BP admitted that a third of its petrol stations had run out of the main two grades of fuel, while the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents almost 5,500 independent outlets, said 50% to 90% of its members had reported running out (The Guardian). It predicted that the rest would soon follow.
The government is to suspend competition law to allow oil firms to target fuel deliveries at petrol stations following recent panic buying (BBC News).
The UK could face a “national shortage” of turkeys in the lead-up to Christmas brought on by a lack of labour following Brexit, the chair of a farming association has said (The Observer).
Farmers are warning of a Christmas turkey shortage because visa changes to allow labour recruitment from abroad have come too late (BBC News).
Only a fraction of British truck drivers have taken up the government’s offer for them to work longer hours, new figures reveal, as the haulage crisis escalates (The Sunday Telegraph). Just one in every 1,700 drivers used the Transport Secretary’s scheme last month.
Pharmacists are waiting for details from the government about what measures are in place to deal with any delays to deliveries of drug supplies as a result of van driver shortages (The Observer).
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice plans to control Morrisons via a company registered in the Cayman Islands, threatening to stoke a row about tax avoidance as big listed companies are snapped up by private investors (The Sunday Telegraph).
Details of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice’s offshore bid vehicle, Market21GP Holdings, have emerged just before the Takeover Panel is expected to formalise a timetable for an auction that should decide whether CD&R or a consortium led by Fortress Investment Group will own Morrisons (The Times £).
MPs reacted angrily after the frontrunner to buy Morrisons admitted it will use a shell company in the Cayman Islands to run the supermarket (The Mail).
Crumpets could become drier under plans being considered by Warburtons to prevent shortages of the teatime favourite if supplies of carbon dioxide run short again (The Telegraph).
Sainsbury’s has relaunched Habitat in its supermarkets and online after closing its flagship store during the pandemic (The Mail).
Unilever is tackling the Covid trend of employees moving to the South of France and beyond to work remotely by insisting they live within a 24-hour commute of the office (The Sunday Times £).
Lidl’s own-brand have become an unlikely contender for this year’s hottest trainer brand but the supermarket has been left apologising to customers after many pairs were bulk-bought and re-sold online by budding entrepreneurs (The Observer).
The Guardian picked up the story about EVCL Chill’s collapse on Saturday. More than 400 jobs are at risk after the chilled food delivery business called in administrators.
The Financial Times (£) takes a look at the frantic summer of dealmaking for Europe’s instant grocery start-ups.
JD Sports is looking to “glow up” with its first move into the beauty sector after buying a stake in Hairburst, an online beauty and hair brand (The Times £).
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