Cost of living crisis 'a lot to do with Brexit' says lorry driver

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In a slap at Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s policies, lorry driver Peter has linked hikes in inflation and goods prices to the “loss of freedom of movement” caused by Brexit. He observes the drop in manpower in the transportation industry and its effects on costs replicating on shops that are forced to increase goods prices to cushion the blow. Speaking to LBC, Peter said: “I’m a lorry driver, and I think the cost-of-living crisis has a lot more to do with Brexit than people are realising.”

LBC’s James O’Brien then said: “I’m just going to pause you there and ask you how many times you listen to his show?”

Peter answered between chuckles: “I’m part of the people who are listening to this service.”

“Well, the thing is I’ve had three wage rises this year, which stands great to me but inflation has already cancelled them out, so it isn’t. And obviously, most people aren’t getting pay rises this year.

“But the reason I’m getting pay rises is because my boss is struggling to get drivers, so he wants to keep the ones he’s got there. He’s had to sell four trucks this year, because he can’t get drivers to drive the trucks. So, he’s just had to sell them.

“We are a small business by the way, not one of the big ones.”

Mr O’Brien then jumped in, speculating: “And this is due to the abolition of the freedom of movement in part.”

Peter said: “It is 100 percent do with the loss of freedom of movement.”

Mr O’Brien cut him off, saying in irony: “Well you might say. Obviously, Jacob Rees-Moggs knows more about all the industry than you, a lorry driver does. So, I say just for balance because some people might say otherwise, Peter.”

Peter said: “Also, it’s my boss that says that as well, not just me.”

Mr O’Brien then replied in irony again: “But he only runs a company. He’s not the minister for Brexit opportunities boasting about how we’re going to have we’re going to be able to make hoovers more powerful, is he? So, let’s get everything in perspective here, Peter.”

In an appeal to the Daily Express readers, Mr Rees-Mogg asked “what is it in their daily life that the government does that makes their life harder.” His office has reportedly handpicked the idea of abolishing the “EU regulations that restrict vacuum cleaner power to 1400W.”

“Yeah, fair enough, fair enough”, Peter answered between chuckles to Mr Obrien’s joke. “The thing is though with these pay rises and everything else, he cannot afford to absorb the pay rises himself.  So, we simply export his prices up to whom we deliver to. And the people we deliver to, i.e. shops everywhere, they aren’t absorbing the costs either. So, they’re putting their prices up.”

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“So, at least a decent proportion of the cost-of-living crisis, of the prices going up for everything is because of this. And this is because of the loss of freedom of movement. I can’t see anybody around it without at least re-joining the single market.”

Several Tory rebels, who voted to oust Boris Johnson in Monday’s confidence vote, have suggested Boris Johnson’s Government should consider re-joining the EU’s single market to ease the cost of living. In a call for more radical thinking to “energise our economy through these stormy waters”, Senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood wrote an article for the House parliamentary magazine that the Government should “better maximise our Brexit fortunes.”

According to the ONS, UK exports to the EU have dropped by a record £20billion in just 20 months, with new trade barriers cited as one of the main reasons.

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