A trucker’s strike in London on October 27th left the city’s roads deserted.
The strike by lorry drivers in London on October 27th left the city’s roads deserted, with many businesses and services closed. This was the result of a protest against new tax rules for foreign drivers that came into effect on October 1st. Truckers had been protesting since then, including a similar strike in August that caused significant disruption to the city’s transport network. The latest strike was expected to last until November 1st, though it ended early after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced a new deal between the City Council and truckers.
Why are lorry drivers so angry?
The protest was against a change to how foreign drivers are taxed when they enter London. Previously, these lorry drivers paid tax based on their distance from the UK border when they entered England. However, under new rules introduced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on April 1st 2021, foreign lorry drivers now pay tax based on their distance from central London rather than from the border.
