Former Tesco boss Dave Lewis to advise on supply chain crisis
Boris Johnson has appointed former Tesco chief executive Sir Dave Lewis as a supply chain adviser to fix both the immediate crisis facing several British industries and prevent future “chaos”.
It comes as the Office for National Statistics found one in six UK adults said they had been unable to buy essential foods in the last fortnight. The recent fuel crisis was caused in part by a shortage of lorry drivers. Brexit and the pandemic have both contributed to labour shortages.
The ONS found that 17% of adults said they had not been able to buy essential food items because they were not available, and almost a quarter (23%) said the same for non-essential food items.
The government said businesses had faced a range of challenges over recent months as they recovered from the coronavirus pandemic which has affected supply chains across Europe and around the world.
Mr Johnson said: “There are currently global supply issues which we are working with industry to mitigate, and Dave brings a wealth of experience which will help us continue to protect our businesses and supply chains.”
A statement said this would include “both identifying the causes of current blockages and pre-empting potential future ones, and advising on resolutions either through direct government action or through industry with government support”.
Sir Dave left the supermarket giant in September last year after helping mend its fortunes following a major accounting scandal.
He has been appointed until the end of the year and will start work in his new role on Monday.
