Johnson eyes post-COVID economy as UK Conservatives meet

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he’s ready to take “bold decisions” to rebuild the economy after the coronavirus pandemic. He made the remarks as his Conservative Party meets for its first annual conference since 2019. The Tory conference opens Sunday in the northwestern city of Manchester as a shortage of truck drivers to delivery fuel across Britain continues to cause empty pumps and long lines at many gas stations. Concerns about wider labor shortages, higher taxes, rising energy bills and a cut in welfare payouts beginning this week are among other challenges facing Johnson. The prime minister says the truck driver shortage crisis was a “chronic problem” associated with an over-reliance on migrant workers. He said he wouldn’t repeat that mistake.