Boris Johnson suggests no plans to prioritise key workers at the fuel pumps
Boris Johnson has suggested key workers such as medics and carers will not get priority to refuel at petrol stations as the situation was now “stabilising”.
When asked if any such plan was being considered, the prime minister said: “I understand people saying that, but with the situation now stabilising, with things getting better on the forecourt, the best thing is that… we stabilise it in the normal way.”
Fuel supply crisis – latest live updates
A closed sign on the forecourt of a petrol station in Leeds
Following days of chaos, with long queues for petrol and stations running dry, Mr Johnson said he understood the frustration felt by drivers as they struggled to fill up.
However, he said the indications from the fuel industry were that the situation was beginning to improve with supplies returning to normal levels.
“On the forecourts the situation is stabilising and people should be confident and just go about their business in the normal way,” he said.
“What we want to do is that we make sure we have all the preparations necessary to get through Christmas and beyond, not just supplying the petrol stations but all parts of our supply chain.”
Despite this, motorists are still facing long queues at filling stations, with fights reportedly breaking out on some forecourts as petrol pumps run dry and limits on sales are imposed.
The prime minister suggested the panic buying was sparked by a “misleading account” in a leak.
“I think that what happened with the petrol pump business is that unfortunately there was a slightly misleading account of something which got leaked and caused a totally understandable surge in demand.”
Army tanker drivers have been put on a state of readiness should they be needed to ease the chaos on fuel supply chains.
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Cars jam up roads to the pumps
Earlier, industry members said there were “early signs” the crisis is coming to an end.
Esso said the situation at 200 sites it operates which include a Tesco Express shop, had “stabilised” and things appeared to be “improving in terms of fuel availability”.
And the Petrol Retailers’ Association said an increasing number of its members are now “reporting taking further deliveries of fuel”.
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It added: “We have conducted a survey of our members this morning and only 37% of forecourts have reported being out of fuel today.
“With regular restocks taking place, this percentage is likely to improve further over the next 24 hours.
“There are early signs that the crisis at pumps is ending.”
However, Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of reducing the country to “chaos” through its failure to deal with the fuel crisis.
The Labour leader said the haulage industry was “beyond frustrated” at the lack of a clear plan by ministers to alleviate the problems caused by the shortage of tanker drivers.
“The government has reduced the country to chaos as we track from crisis to crisis. The government is not gripping this,” he said.
“This problem was predictable and predicted and the government has absolutely failed to plan.”
Weather warnings are in place for snow, wind and rain across much of the UK on New Year’s Day.
The start of 2025 will bring a “multi-hazard storm, combining severe gales, heavy rain and possibly significant snow as the rain runs into cold air,” said Sky News meteorologist Christopher England.
Pic: Met Office
The most significant snowfall on New Year’s Day will be from Donegal, across Northern Ireland and into the north of England and south of Scotland.
The wind looks strongest in the south, Mr England added, where 60mph winds are possible inland and 80mph gusts around the coasts of the Irish Sea.
The stormy weather continues on 2 January, with the Met Office issuing yellow weather warnings across England, Wales and parts of Scotland.
The UK has faced widespread disruption over the last few days, as thick fog descended.
Tens of thousands of passengers had flights delayed or cancelled, while drivers were warned about dangerous conditions with poor visibility.
Revellers are also set for a “wet and rather windy” New Year’s Eve, with the potential for a snowy Hogmanay in Scotland.
There could be some “possibly disruptive weather” on 31 December, Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said, with Scotland likely to see the worst of it.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for winds of up to 70mph that may cause travel disruption on New Year’s Eve.
The alert, in place from 7am until 11pm on Tuesday, covers most of Northern Ireland as well as north of York in England up to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Greenock.
The forecaster also warned that delays to transport are likely, with gusts of up to 60mph expected in most areas.
Those affected should check road conditions for driving and the latest travel information as well as preparing for in advance for potential power cuts.
A pensioner who is refusing to leave what’s being branded Britain’s loneliest housing estate has told Sky News he is facing bullying and intimidation tactics to force him out.
Nick Wisniewski’s ex-council flat in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire is set to be demolished because the local authority wants to redevelop the area, which has become a derelict eyesore.
The vast area on the outskirts of Glasgow used to have almost 1,000 properties, but slowly the bulldozers have moved in, creating huge mounds of rubble where homes once stood.
The land is overgrown, with all remaining properties boarded up – apart from the retired bank worker’s home, which demolition teams have been unable to touch as he refuses to budge.
Nick Wisniewski claims he is being bullied to leave his home
Rubble where homes on the estate once stood
‘They’ll basically need to drag me out’
The 68-year-old, whose neighbours were all rehomed in 2023, bought the flat in 2017 under the discounted right-to-buy scheme and is now mortgage-free.
He told Sky News he rejected an initial offer from North Lanarkshire Council of £35,000 plus two year’s rent as it would not be enough to buy a new place.
Contemplating a time in the future when he is forced out, he said: “By law they can smash my door down, they can come in here, manhandle me to get me out. That’s the law, and they’ll basically need to drag me out.”
Asked if he is prepared to go to that length to stop himself being removed, he said: “I am hoping it doesn’t come to that, but if it does then so be it.”
He reveals a compulsory purchase order process is now under way.
A compulsory purchase order is the legal power given to a local council to buy a property without the owner’s consent.
The legal battle will now be resolved by the Scottish government in due course.
There used to be almost a thousand properties on the estate
He said: “It’s been all intimidation, bullying, lies. They offered me £40,000 over a year ago. I thought they’d have offered me a wee bit more. I would accept, probably, £60,000.
“They had a meeting a couple of weeks ago saying that they are starting legal, which means compulsory purchase order.
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“There’s so many stages to that and it’ll take a while for that to come in to force.”
North Lanarkshire Council told Sky News it “completely refutes” any allegations of bullying or intimidation.
A spokesman said: “We are continuing to try and engage with the remaining resident and our focus is on progressing our ambitious plans to transform this area of Gowkthrapple for the benefit of the local community.”
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