It must be one of them arms race situations. If one beer does it they all have to do it.

AndCallMeCharlie wrote:

davyK wrote:

the brewery system here ended many moons ago

Interesting I didn’t know that - is that the same in Scotland as well?

Not sure. Could well be.

This U.S trade deal is going well then.
Consensus seems to be that nothing better than joining USMCA will be achieved before the next GE and that is far from certain.

Im reading between the lines on that GE estimate as well. On face value it says 3 years so maybe it is just a timing thing.
Im reading that we might have another PM or another President or both. Biden clearly can't stomach Johnson, I don't see anything special about that relationship.

You are almost certainly correct but thats not what we were promised and the kicking off of those negotiations seem to be bottom of Biden's pile.
Basically we probably would have agreed to a pile of shit rapidly with Trump if he had been re-elected and probably will do again if Trump or another Republican are elected next term.

Funkstain wrote:

I would've thought the larger issue regarding a comprehensive trade deal with the US is the negotiating window. Unless the UK is willing to bend over and compromise on everything and gain very little to nothing, it will take years of fine-line negotiations and arguments and inching before a deal is reached. This is what happened with Australia (we basically said "take everything and give us nothing"), but the impact of that trading relationship on domestic produce etc is fairly small. Can't say the same with the US, anyone signing a "give it away " deal with them for political short term gain would be crucified in a few short years

While all of this is true, I don’t doubt for a second that none of it will sway Johnson away from visions of signing a freshly-minted trade deal with America to show what a success “Global” Britain is.

US imperial measures aren’t the same as UK ones.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_the_imperial_and_US_customary_measurement_systems

Yossarian wrote:

US imperial measures aren’t the same as UK ones.

The relevant ones for food sales are the same. Pounds and ounces. Fluids/drinks not so much, I’ll grant you.

But for flogging us their manky beef, steroid-filled pork, and chlorinated chicken? Oh yeah, it’ll work. And all their intensively-farmed crops with lots of neocotinoids.

Can we blame Brexit for lack of lorry drivers and therefore petrol in some stations? Cos we were just very late to the Boy’s tennis lesson because of a very long queue for a petrol station. Panic fillers. Fucking idiots.

I get it though.
For a start if you just need fuel you need fuel. If you have queued for it or even if there is a whiff of shortage you may as well fill up rather than getting £20 or whatever. (I'm a filler upper anyway but I know others dont).
So like the loo rolls its not necessarily a few emptying the shelves but many just covering their arse (puntended). Its not like you can massively bulk buy fuel anyway, you fill up your vehicle and you are done. Filling up rather than adding a bit adds time which accumulates, also people half full might top up to be sure.

The nail in the coffin though was our government saying not to panic buy. After the past near 2 years you cant blame the public for seeing that as a massive red light.

Along with "its just Covid" and "its just as bad in Europe".
Yet they have issued EU visas.

I mean their reassurance is "there is plenty of fuel in the country" which falls hollow to anyone with half a brain that can realise the issue isn't the amount of fuel but distributing it.

Ridgeway.

Went round a bit today, Winchmore and Palmers.  All closed.

You serious?

Christ.

I have a quarter tank. I need to go and pick up someone from Stansted airport Friday night. Hope there’s some petrol before then.

We have almost a half tank thankfully, and don't really need to drive anywhere much. So I'm hoping we can limp through until the army rescues us...

Yeah i just assumed the petrol situation just happened on the news and down south but tried to get fuel this afternoon and both stations on way home were shut as no fuel.