British builders say they’re facing a ‘perfect storm’ of negative effects from both Covid and Brexit which is leading to shortages of both materials and skills, pushing up prices as lockdown eases and pent-up demand returns. Five years on from the June 2016 Brexit vote, builder Sanjay Nairi says companies face a “shortage of materials… [a] shortage of labour”, while Brian Berry of the Federation of Master Builders says that while it’s “difficult to completely distinguish the impact of Covid and Brexit”, both are having an effect. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES