We should appoint a Supply Minister

blackmorevaleOctober 14, 20210 Comment0

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us and we should all be basking in the glow of the last days of late summer sunshine.

However, it is clear to everyone – particularly those contacting me or giving me their views on the issues of the day, that we are facing a testing and difficult autumn and winter. Harold Macmillan’s warning that ‘events, dear boy, events’ are the politician’s curse seem more than writ large.

Our leaving the EU was always going to create issues in need of solutions. We thought that we would have a post-election, large majority ‘space’ during 2021 to deal with them. Then along came covid with all of the distraction and resource divergence it required. Government was absolutely right to do. None of us knew how long it would last and precious few would have predicted it to be this long.

And then along came Afghanistan. And overarching all of that the ever-present climate emergency and preparation for COP26. So most if not all of the Government’s plans have been affected by events outwith its control. But, Governments can walk and chew gum simultaneously and legislation is still moving through the sausage machine.

However, the big issue facing our country is not new laws but supply. I begin to wonder whether we should not have a new Minister of Supply to co-ordinate and bring heads together across Whitehall. We have a clear problem with the supply of labour. I have yet to hear from a business that is not having issues with recruitment.

We are an aging population with a falling birth rate. Immigration and work visa policy must be economically focussed.  We are clearly at the beginning of an energy supply situation. Inflationary pressures will rocket if a cold winter sets in. Petrol and fuel supply difficulties (principally due to driver shortages) can be addressed by military deployment but that is only a sticking plaster.

Hopefully, the ending of furlough will see more people return to the world of work. As covid restrictions ease, and as the need for workers from overseas becomes apparent to all but the narrowest of minds, we will see an injection of human capital into the workforce. Local farmers and food producers are worried. Local shop owners and other businesses are anxious about the slow operationability of their new supply chains.

Again, as covid restrictions are lifted across the world, business will have more resource to find the solutions so desperately needed. Our dedicated health and care workers, already exhausted, fear a new covid variant or a particularly hard-hitting flu epidemic (possibly magnified in impact by the control of social interaction last autumn/winter).

The above are the problems/issues we know. There are things which are yet to even loom on the horizon. There are some comforts that we can draw upon. The size of the Government’s majority ensure it can carry its business in Parliament. Heaven help us if we were trying to deal with the issues raised above with a wafer thin or non-existent majority. The money markets have faith in our Chancellor of the Exchequer and the chill winds of recession are not being felt in the UK. This gives the Government scope to continue the pragmatic commonsense that saw both furlough and the recent NI decision.

A meteorologist may very well describe the political weather as ‘unsettled over the coming weeks and unknown thereafter’. As a governing party we are going to have to be agile and fleet of foot to help steer our national ship to calm water. I shall do all I can to do to ensure North Dorset is looked after.