A World War Two poster issued by the Information Ministry around the time of the Blitz is now re-doing the rounds on t-shirts, coffee mugs and even duvet covers. It reads very simply: ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. Some things never go out of fashion. Compare that with the conflicting messaging coming out of the UK Government last week on possible petrol shortages even before a strike had been called.
The tanker driver issue has been bubbling on for over a year, so following classic crisis theory, Ministers should have known and been prepared. It's called 'horizon scanning'; an early warning system of problems ahead. There should also have been a unified management plan with agreed communication objectives, delivery system and of course, key messages.
