Businesses ‘frustrated’ as government rejects plea to loosen Brexit visa rules amid supply chain crisis
Business groups have been left “frustrated” after the business secretary rejected requests to loosen Brexit immigration rules to ease the supply chain crisis, telling companies to hire UK-based workers instead.
Businesses across multiple sectors are struggling to meet customer demand as a consequence of labour shortages, particularly in haulage where there is a shortfall of an estimated 100,000 HGV drivers.
The industry says this is a consequence of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. EU drivers now require a visa to work in the UK, but are not included on the government’s shortage occupation list and do not qualify for their definition of skilled workers.
Britain is grappling with a shortage of HGV drivers, now estimated to stand at around 100,000
Many returned home during the pandemic and have not returned, and COVID also saw the suspension of driver testing, leaving a backlog of several thousand.
Nando’s, McDonald’s, and KFC are among the companies that have reported product shortages as a consequence in recent weeks, while Tesco, Amazon, and John Lewis are offering four-figure joining bonuses to drivers.
Logistics UK and the British Retail Consortium wrote to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng last week, urging the government to help ease the immediate challenges by granting temporary visas to EU drivers.
In a response, seen by Sky News, Mr Kwarteng says HGV drivers are not sufficiently skilled to meet visa requirements and companies should focus on training and recruiting British staff.
“The government recognise that the UK labour market has changed dramatically due to the economic impacts and measures necessary to tackle COVID-19, and I realise that by adding HGV drivers to the shortage occupation list, this could provide a short-term, temporary solution,” he said.
“However, many UK-based workers now face an uncertain future and need to find new employment opportunities. I am sure you would agree on the importance of utilising the strength of our domestic workforce, and how our migration policies need to be considered alongside our strategies to ensure UK-based workers are better able to secure decent employment opportunities.”
The business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has asked employers to invest in UK workers
Logistics UK said the government’s position means driver shortages will continue well into 2022.
“Logistics UK is frustrated with the government’s decision to reject the logistics industry’s calls for temporary visas to be made available for EU HGV drivers as a short-term solution while new domestic drivers are recruited, trained and tested,” said Alex Veitch, general manager of public policy.
“While these new domestic drivers are trained and qualify into the workforce, which can take up to nine months, and DVSA works through its backlog of outstanding HGV driver tests – which we estimate could take until early 2022 – temporary visas made available for European workers would help to overcome the current supply chain problems experienced across the country.
“The industry needs drivers now, and we have been urging the government to replicate its temporary visa scheme, introduced for agricultural workers, for logistics to keep trucks and vans moving in the short term.”
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The issue cuts to the heart of the Brexit debate, with supporters of leaving the European Union arguing that reducing the EU workforce would lift wages and standards for domestic workers.
Business counters that introducing the new regime at the peak of a pandemic has unnecessarily damaged their ability to meet customer demand.
Employees who were furloughed during the US government shutdown are expected to return to work at the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission after 43 days away.
According to the operations plans with the SEC and CFTC, staff are expected to return on Thursday, following US President Donald Trump’s signing of a funding bill late on Wednesday to resume federal operations.
The two agencies’ respective plans require employees to come in on the “next regularly scheduled workday […] following enactment of appropriations legislation,” which acting CFTC chair Caroline Pham appeared to confirm in a Thursday X post.
Amid the government shutdown, both agencies had fewer staff and reduced operations. In the SEC’s case, this limited its ability to review applications for exchange-traded funds, including those tied to cryptocurrencies. The CFTC’s plan said it would “cease the vast bulk of its operations,” including enforcement, market oversight and work on regulatory rulemaking.
With the reopening of the government, however, the SEC and CFTC may need some time to catch up on activities, such as reviewing registration applications submitted in the previous 43 days. Some companies submitted IPO and ETF applications amid reports that the shutdown would likely end soon.
“I’m sure some [companies] took the position that they could just submit [an application to the SEC] knowing it’s not going to be looked at until they get back, but at least they’re in the queue,” Jay Dubow, a partner at law firm Troutman Pepper Locke, told Cointelegraph.
He also warned of the possible ramifications of the SEC going through repeated shutdowns:
“Every time you go through something like this, there’s the risk of things just slipping through the cracks in various ways.”
Related: Last US penny minted shows why savers need Bitcoin
During the shutdown, officials with both financial regulators regularly spoke at conferences on their approach to cryptocurrencies, sometimes commenting on their availability and addressing the reduced operations.
“Within limits, we’re still obviously functioning,” said SEC Chair Paul Atkins on Oct. 7, less than a week into the lapse in appropriations. “There are restrictions on what we can and can’t do, especially for staff […] I can still come and do things like this [referring to the conference].”
Before the funding bill had been resolved, Akins said that the SEC planned to consider “establishing a token taxonomy” in the coming months, “anchored” in the Howey test to recognize that “investment contracts can come to an end.” Pham, similarly, said the CFTC had been pushing for approval of leveraged spot cryptocurrency trading as early as December.
Prospective CFTC chair scheduled for Senate hearing
Michael Selig, who serves as chief counsel for the SEC’s crypto task force, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday as part of Trump’s push to have him confirmed as the next CFTC chair. Though the hearing could likely have moved forward amid the shutdown, Selig’s authority with the agency, had he been confirmed, would have been severely limited.
Pham is expected to leave her position as acting chair should the Senate confirm Selig. However, even if he were to be installed quickly, the CFTC would still face a dearth of leadership, with only one Senate-confirmed commissioner out of the usual five.
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The United Kingdom needs to regulate and encourage the development of British pound stablecoins to keep the country’s financial services sector globally competitive, according to Mark Fairless, the group CEO of bank infrastructure and fintech company ClearBank.
“Stablecoins are a logical extension to reduce friction in international global payments,” Fairless told Cointelegraph in an interview at Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.
He said that pound stablecoins will never equal the market capitalization of dollar or euro-denominated tokens because it isn’t a global reserve currency.
However, the UK needs a British pound stablecoin to remain commercially competitive as the world shifts to onchain finance and internet capital markets, Fairless said. He told Cointelegraph:
“From a capability perspective for the UK, the ability to settle payments internationally in real time requires a GBP stablecoin, and if we don’t have one, we risk falling behind other financial sectors.
“The financial services market in the UK is one of our strongest parts of the economy, and so, stablecoins are a logical place to go next,” he said, adding that the effect of stablecoins on the banking sector and traditional business models remains to be seen.
Stablecoins have become geostrategically relevant as governments respond to growing pressure to place their fiat currencies onchain to remain competitive with countries that integrate digital and blockchain rails into their economies.
Related: Bank of England’s Breeden warns watered-down stablecoin rules risk stability
Bank of England vows to keep pace with the US on stablecoins
Sarah Breeden, deputy governor for the Bank of England, the UK’s central bank, said the country will keep pace with US stablecoin regulations and work closely with international partners to synchronize regulatory efforts.
Breeden also urged a cautious approach and warned against loosening stablecoin regulations to the point where the asset class poses a systemic risk to the banking sector.
The Bank of England published a consultation paper on Monday outlining a proposed regulatory framework for stablecoins in the UK.
The proposal included potential reserve requirements, asset taxonomy, and risk management regulations for stablecoin issuers and is open for industry feedback until February 2026, with finalized regulations expected in the second half of the year.
Magazine: Unstablecoins: Depegging, bank runs, and other risks loom
Key takeaways
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The Fed’s Dec. 9-10 meeting carries unusual weight as markets wait to see whether another rate cut will arrive before Christmas, shaping bonds, equities and crypto.
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After two cuts in 2025, rates now sit at 3.75%-4.00%. Labor weakness and softer inflation support further easing, but officials remain divided because inflation risks have not fully cleared.
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A cooling job market, easing inflation and the end of quantitative tightening could justify another reduction and align with year-end liquidity needs.
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Sticky inflation, gaps in economic data caused by the government shutdown and a divided Fed may push policymakers to keep rates unchanged this December.
When the US Federal Reserve meets on Dec. 9-10 to decide on interest rates, it will not be just another routine gathering. Markets are watching closely to see what direction policymakers choose. Will the Fed cut rates again before the holidays? A pre-Christmas Eve reduction could send waves through bonds, stocks, credit markets and crypto.
This article explains why the Fed’s pre-Christmas meeting is significant and outlines the factors supporting or opposing a potential rate cut. It also highlights what to watch in the coming weeks and how a Fed move could affect crypto and other financial markets.
The background of a December rate cut
Central banks typically cut rates when inflation is easing, economic growth slows or financial conditions become too tight. In late October, the Federal Reserve lowered rates by 25 basis points, setting the federal funds target range at 3.75%-4.00%, its lowest level since 2022. The move followed another 25-basis-point cut in September 2025, making it the Fed’s second rate reduction of the year.
The move came amid clear signs of a cooling labor market. October recorded one of the worst monthly layoff totals in more than two decades, according to multiple labor-market reports, reinforcing concerns about weakening job conditions. The Fed’s October statement echoed this trend, noting that risks to employment had increased even as inflation remained somewhat elevated.
At a press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that a December cut is “not a foregone conclusion.” Yet economists at Goldman Sachs still expect a cut, pointing to clear signs of labor market weakness. Fed officials remain divided, with some emphasizing inflation risks and the limited room for further easing.
A December rate cut is possible, but it is not guaranteed.
Factors supporting a potential rate cut
There are several reasons the Fed may decide to cut rates:
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Cooling labor market: Private sector data shows softer hiring, rising layoffs and a slight increase in unemployment.
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Moderating inflation: Inflation is still above target but continues to trend lower, giving the Fed more flexibility to ease policy.
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Ending quantitative tightening: The Fed has announced it will stop reducing the size of its balance sheet beginning Dec. 1.
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Pre-holiday timing: A rate cut would align with year-end liquidity needs and help set expectations for 2026.
Arguments for the Fed to postpone action
Several factors suggest the Fed may delay a rate cut in the near future:
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Sticky inflation: According to the Fed’s latest statement, the inflation rate remains “somewhat elevated.”
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Data vacuum: The US government shutdown has delayed key employment and inflation reports, making policy assessments more difficult.
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Committee division: Federal Reserve officials are split on the appropriate path forward, which encourages a more cautious approach.
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Limited room for easing: After multiple cuts this year, some analysts argue that policy is already close to a neutral level.
Did you know? In March 2020, the Fed cut interest rates to near zero to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. It lowered rates by a total of 1.5 percentage points across its meetings on March 3 and March 15.
What to monitor before December
These factors are likely to shape the Fed’s upcoming policy decision on rate cuts:
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Nonfarm payrolls and unemployment: Is the job market continuing to slow?
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Inflation data: Any unexpected rise in inflation will reduce expectations for policy easing.
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Financial conditions and market signals: Are credit spreads widening, and is overall market liquidity tightening?
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Fed communications: Differences of opinion within the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) may influence the outcome.
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External shocks: Trade developments, geopolitical risks or sudden supply disruptions could shift the Fed’s approach.
Did you know? US stocks have historically returned about 11% in the 12 months after the Fed begins cutting rates.
How a Federal Reserve cut may impact crypto
Fed rate cuts increase global liquidity and often push investors toward riskier assets like crypto in search of higher returns. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) tend to benefit from stronger risk appetite and rising institutional inflows. Lower decentralized finance (DeFi) borrowing rates also encourage more leverage and trading activity. Stablecoins may see greater use in payments, although their yield advantage narrows when rates fall.
However, if a rate cut is interpreted as a signal of recession, crypto may experience equity-like volatility. Markets might see an initial boost from easier liquidity, followed by a pullback driven by broader macro concerns. If global financial conditions loosen instead, the environment could support further crypto demand.
Lower borrowing costs make it easier for people and institutions to take investment risks, which can draw more interest toward digital assets. As more money flows into the sector, crypto companies can build better tools and services, helping the industry connect more smoothly with the rest of the financial system.
Did you know? When the Fed cuts rates, short-term bond yields usually fall first, creating opportunities for traders who track movements in the yield curve.
Consequences of a Fed rate cut on other financial sectors
Here is a look at the potential effects on major asset classes if the Fed cuts interest rates:
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Bonds and yields: Short-term yields will likely decline as markets adjust their expectations. The yield curve may steepen if long-term yields remain stabler than short-term ones, which can signal confidence in future growth. If the cut is viewed as a sign of recession risk, long-term yields may fall as well, resulting in a flattening or even an inversion of the curve.
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US dollar and global FX: A rate cut generally weakens the dollar because interest rate differentials narrow. This often supports emerging markets and commodity-exporting countries. If the cut is driven by concerns about economic growth, safe-haven demand may temporarily push the dollar higher.
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Equities: A pre-Christmas Eve rate cut could spark a rally in US stocks if investors see it as a sign of confidence in a soft landing. A soft landing refers to cooling inflation alongside a stable labor market. If the cut is motivated by growth worries instead, corporate earnings may come under pressure, and defensive sectors could outperform cyclical ones.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
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