One of the key aspects with haulage is itâs economical when the trucks are used in both directions. For example picking goods up in Europe, taking them to the UK, taking different goods back to Europe.
They have also worked with a just in time delivery approach. Picked up in Spain Monday, on your supermarket shelf in Asda Wednesday. Every day costs haulage companies money.
Brexit hits haulage in two ways. Decrease in trade, or unbalanced trade (empty trucks in one direction). Also their ability to deliver the same amount of good substantially decreased by broader crossing and bureaucracy.
My wife and I were talking about the school meals situation today and she asked why this conversation has opened up. I tried to wing it, bumbling about like Boris during PMQs trying to answer it but dont really understand the situation. Her question specifically was âwhat makes the holiday period different this year vs any previous year where school meals or payments related to school meals wouldnt have occurred anyway?â
Has benefit payments reduced? I imagine council tax payments are capped during the crisis not to mention I think most of the families that are need of school meals are probably exempt from council payments anyway. What other elements of cost of living have increased during the covid period? Have food prices increased? How has covid increased the pressure of incomings vs outgoings for these families on benefits?
Unless benefits payments have been reduced, is this more something thats always been bubbling away under the surface and its only become a movement through Rashfordâs work and it really has nothing to do with covid?
I think it is an issue that has been bubbling under the surface for a while, with changes to the benefit system over the last 10-20 years and substantial cuts to LA funding over the last 10 having an impact.
Benefits have reduced - there was a freeze for several years until this April. The Conservatives also introduced changes to how much benefit you can recieve in regards to children (so now you usually only get support for 2 while on the main benefits except in very extreme circumstances). Housing instability is an added factor, with people having to go into B&Bs which may have few facilities for keeping and cooking food. Housing related Benefit payments do not always cover the cost of housing payments and that shortfall would have to be paid out of benefits (or savings if any)
Covid brings it to the forefront because charities have a greater voice at these times to raise it as an issue, and because food costs can rise during the pandemic.
Jonathan Portes is worth reading on this - he used to be a senior economist at the Department for Work and Pensions. He is now at Kings College and still writes a lot on the impact of benefit changes.
I just find it very strange that 2 bodies could lay inside a flat in a communal block and no one ever complained about the smell of the bodies decomposing which I would imagine would have been pretty horrendous
Youâre probably right but it was winter. Apparently there was no heating. That would have meant a slower and less pungent decay, I imagine. Plus Bracknell smells of death most places you go.