Soldiers will start delivering petrol from Monday in a drastic bid to end the fuel crisis.
Nearly 200 military drivers are being deployed to the worst-hit areas, Downing Street confirmed.
The decision comes as Rishi Sunak warns shortages of goods could continue until Christmas.
In an exclusive interview with the Mail, the Chancellor says the supply problems are global and cannot be fixed by Britain alone.
'These shortages are very real,' he adds. 'We're seeing real disruptions in supply chains in different sectors, not just here but around the world. We are determined to do what we can to try to mitigate as much of this as we can.'
He also acknowledges that soaring inflation will leave millions of families facing a 'challenging' winter.
Nearly 200 military drivers are being deployed to the worst-hit areas, Downing Street confirmed. Pictured: Military personnel seen at the BP Oil plant in Hemel Hempstead Herts
But he defends his decision to remove the £20-a-week top-up to Universal Credit next week, saying he would rather 'throw the kitchen sink' at training and employment schemes.
He says he remains 'full of confidence and optimism' about the economic recovery, despite what some ministers are describing as an 'EFFing crisis', involving problems with supplies of energy, fuel and food.
With the £70billion furlough scheme finally ending this week, the Chancellor says he is optimistic there will be no need for further lockdowns this winter.
'It feels to me like we're stepping out of the coronavirus crisis, and can think about the future with a renewed sense of confidence and optimism,' he says.
His comments come as:
Industry sources said a quarter of independent forecourts had run dry yesterday; No 10 said ministers would fast track 300 temporary visas for foreign tanker drivers; A further 5,500 short-term visas will be issued to foreign poultry workers to help ensure turkey supplies at Christmas; Industry experts warned that supply chain problems could see shortages of pigs in blankets, hams and party foods at Christmas; Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng warned against further tax rises in this month's budget; Mr Kwarteng ruled out a resumption of 'fracking' to ease the gas crisis, saying it was 'not the way forward'.
The decision to deploy soldiers to start deliver petrol comes as Rishi Sunak warned shortages of goods could continue until Christmas. Pictured: Fuel tankers at Buncefield fuel storage
In an exclusive interview with the Mail, Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured) said the supply problems are global and cannot be fixed by Britain alone
In his
