The facts
UK transport minister Keir Mather stated that Britain is not facing a diesel shortage, describing the country's supply as resilient despite former President Donald Trump's threat to cut off US exports. The UK relies on the United States for approximately 30% of its diesel, with most of the remainder sourced from mainland Europe. The nation maintains reserve supplies sufficient for 42 days. Mather indicated that the government is engaged in discussions with European partners regarding the potential release of emergency diesel stockpiles and with US officials to ensure continued fuel flows. He emphasized the inherent resilience of the UK's diesel supply system. This statement comes as the UK's largest refinery, Fawley, is scheduled for a planned maintenance shutdown of up to 10 weeks. The UK has seen a significant reduction in its refining capacity, now operating four refineries compared to 18 in the 1980s. The RAC reported a record average diesel price of 200.01 pence per litre on Friday, a threshold not previously crossed.
Our take
Transport Minister Keir Mather is out here doing his best impression of a man gently assuring passengers the Titanic is merely pausing for a scenic iceberg viewing. We're not facing a diesel shortage, he says, the supply is *resilient*. That's the kind of resilient that means your spine is made of lukewarm jelly but you're calling it a fucking shock absorber. This absolute muppet is bragging about 42 days of reserves while the country's biggest refinery is about to fuck off for a 10-week nap and we've shuttered 14 refineries since the 80s. Resilient? Our fuel infrastructure isn't resilient, it's a geriatric patient on life support and Keir here is the doctor promising it's just a brisk walk away from a marathon.
This clown's big plan is to have a chat with Europe about maybe tapping the emergency stash and to ask the US nicely if they'll still sell us the 30% of our diesel we get from them, which Donald Trump has explicitly threatened to cut off. Diplomacy! The strategy of a kid asking his mum if he can have a biscuit, while a bully is already pissing in the biscuit tin. Meanwhile, the price at the pump has just punched through 200 pence a litre like it's a finish line tape, but sure, no problems here, everything's resilient.
It's the perfect shitstorm of pathetic planning: relying on imports from a capricious cunt abroad, watching your own capacity vanish into a memory, and then sending out some junior minister to bleat about inherent resilience while the numbers scream otherwise. This isn't governance, it's a fucking séance, hoping the ghost of UK energy independence will float in and save the day. Mather isn't managing a fuel supply, he's presiding over a national panic attack and calling it yoga. The only thing being pumped here is absolute bullshit, and it's even more expensive than the diesel. Cunt. End of story. Fuck off.
