Power outages continue in storm-hit areas. Thousands of people in the storm-hit north of England are still suffering from power outages, as well as water and gas shortages, six days after Storm Arwen. Reports from storm-hit areas show residents in parts of the area remain without electricity despite blackouts promised by Boris Johnson’s government. In the past, families in the storm-hit areas found the lack of electricity and gas in extreme cold unbearable for families with illness, adding that there were no longer even candles to light in some homes and that officials were not paying attention to their plight. Storm Arwen killed at least three people, cut off electricity to about 150,000 subscribers, and left many subscribers in the north of England without water or gas.
Chilling Weather and Continual Power Outrages
Thousands of people in northern England spent the fifth night without electricity after Storm Arwen destroyed infrastructure. In response to a request for temporary accommodation for people affected by the storm and cold, the government has said that they should find a place for temporary accommodation themselves. Following the escalation of criticism, a number of lawmakers called on the government to send troops to help people in the storm-hit areas. The British government has said it will send 134 troops to Scotland to help residents in the storm-hit areas. Six days later, 4,000 homes are reported without electricity, and the troops are expected to help provide electricity to residents in the storm-hit areas. Troops are set to help people in 12 storm-hit villages in the north of England in groups of 10. Water and gas are still cut off in some areas, and children and the elderly are said to be in a deplorable condition at temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Numbers Speak Clearly
According to the Northern PowerGrid electricity company, 240,000 people in the northeast of England and Yorkshire have been left without electricity. It is also reported that more than 100,000 people in Scotland have been left without electricity. The storm also disrupted transportation. Scottish police say several roads have been closed due to a mountain fall, and trains north of Newcastle have also been stopped. Currently, about 120 trucks are stuck on the M62 in northern England. The Meteorological Agency in Scotland and the North East of England has issued a rare red weather warning. It is said that the speed of the storm may reach 150 kilometres per hour. All residents have been asked to stay home and travel only when necessary. It also called on people to stay away from beaches.
The energy regulator announced that thousands of homes still do not have electricity. The company described the damage as “unprecedented” and said engineers were working to restore the service. Meanwhile, the Northwest Power Supply Company announced that 9,000 of its subscribers are still without electricity. According to the company, more defects were discovered during the repairs, and some customers may have to wait “a few more days”.
Fuel shortages, along with rising inflation and unemployment, have led to widespread distrust of the British economy. The results of a joint investigation by a British consortium of retailers and the service company KPMG show that millions of Britons have lost confidence in the country’s economic situation.
Polls in Brief
49% of Britons, compared to the other 24%, believe that this country is moving in the wrong direction. Fifty per cent have concluded that the British decision to leave the European Union has bad consequences for the country, and only 25 per cent disagree. Interestingly, 24% of Brexit supporters believe that Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union has negative consequences, and out of the remaining 76%, only 45% think that Brexit was beneficial. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s composure and denial of the widespread crisis in Britain have angered British citizens against Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson’s popularity has plummeted, according to research by the Ipsos MORI think tank. 49% of people did not have a favourable view of him, and only 26% supported him. Forty-five per cent of people believe that the situation in the country has worsened since Boris Johnson took office, and less than a quarter of people think otherwise that the situation has improved or not changed.
Public distrust has peaked following Boris Johnson’s poor performance in curbing the effects of Brexit and the covid 19 epidemic, and the disclosure of corruption cases. According to the latest polls, British citizens believe that if a new referendum is held on leaving the EU, they will vote against it. Earlier, British protesters in the streets of London set fire to an effigy of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to express their anger at the government’s policies. The action took place in Trafalgar Square, and protesters set fire to his image, along with slogans against Johnson’s government. Protesters also hurled stones and fire at police in Parliament Square, sparking violence. During the protests, eight police officers were injured, and 12 protesters were arrested for disturbing public order. The protests come amid growing dissatisfaction with Boris Johnson’s conservative government, which many see as incapable of resolving after leaving the EU.
Final Word
Ever since the former British-EU relations ended with Brexit, the problem of moving goods, especially food, has become apparent in Britain. Strict customs laws provoked protests from business owners and shipping companies, with protesters protesting on several occasions in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. On the other hand, the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic and the numerous quarantines caused the Brexit aftershocks to be poorly observed, and now that the government has reduced the coronation restrictions and the quarantines have been lifted, the consequences of Brexit are clearly visible.
In the wake of the fuel crisis and gasoline shortages, the government’s inability to serve the victims of Storm Arwen, unemployment, discrimination and organized government corruption, it is feared that continuing problems will lead to widespread social discontent. Health and medical institutions in the UK have sounded the alarm over problems with staff and medical staff departures, and some schools and institutions have announced they will turn to distance education if the crisis continues.
