The E.U. And AstraZeneca row.

Mike Galsworthy is a young scientist who explains the current situation well

fb.watch/3lhW9DF5S0/

Smileless2012

"we seem to be going through a particular unpleasant period in our history of me me me and sod the rest of you". The EU's 'threat' to interfere with the pre ordered vaccinations destined for the UK looks to me like 'us us us and sod the UK'.

Honestly, just turn the fnal sentence t'other way round. It is the UK that refused to be part of a larger procurement block of European partners, ahead of everyone, in order to jump ahead.

Someone said today 'we need every single one of those jabs' - as if EU countries did not! As if other countries did not ...

lemongrove

What does any of that have to do with the AZ row Maybe ?

How interesting that you suddenly want to get back to the topic Lemongrove when you were quite happy to make personal attacks earlier.

Now what did you suggest this sort of post might be? Ah yes, deflecting when you feel you are about to lose an argument wasn't it?

But the EU could have had the vaccines as the same time as us. They could have ordered at the same time as the UK.

It’s not like we said we’ll grab them all first and not leave any for anyone else. If the EU had committed the increased production would be in place now.

Someone elsewhere just asked this question

''Interesting the UK Govt , namely Johnson , has been incredibly quiet over the vaccine issue and not been drawn into an argument . Normally he'd been shouting the benefits of his policies to all and sundry , but interestingly he is silent . Why ?''

interesting, I think. Why?

biba70 perhaps because the EU were doing a good job of making themselves look bad without any help from anyone else?

There was no need for an argument. Legally and diplomatically the EU bureaucracy was in the wrong as even the redacted contract revealed.

As far as I'm concerned thank goodness for Boris as he is the only person in politics on either side of the channel who has the bottle to stand up to these arrogant bullies who rule other countries by fear. Make no mistake if these countries don't tow the EU line, punishment will be swift and severe, that much is crystal clear. I can't believe that the Scots actually want to join such a corrupt organisation, now exposed for exactly what they have become! God only knows how they'll use and probably abuse you, post honeymoon of course. Remember Greece and currently Eire, not much respect for either. Thank God we left and thank God for Boris.

It’s a pity he was so busy standing up to ‘these bullies’,sorting out his divorce etc at the start of the year and couldn’t be bothered to attend COBRA meetings or he might have noticed there was a pandemic.

You forgot dexamethasone MayBee another triumph by the UK scientists. Cheap & cheerful, tablets available to even the poorest of countries last summer helping keep patients in hospital off the morbidity lists. So - the UK has done very well in the fight against coronovirus - not just the vaccines and the procurement.

The argument was between AstraZeneca and the EU. There was no need for our Prime Minister to step in until it looked as though Article 16 of the NI protocol might have been invoked on which case Boris Johnson called Ursula VdeL and sorted it out.
Exactly how it should work.

Personal assaults such as ‘sorting out his divorce’ serve no purpose.

Even though they’re relevant. He was too busy with his personal life to concentrate on the growing crisis. He boasted about shaking people’s hands. He didn’t know about asymptomatic carriers. He handed out lucrative contracts to his mates. I’m not going to forget all of that. People have died because of it. A friend of mine died in a nursing home because of it. He’s no hero of mine and never will be.

The government, unlike some Brexit supporters on here, are playing this down, they have to tread carefully over NI, and we have to work with the EU over many issues, so they are, for once, being wisely diplomatic. The EU have quickly dropped the original threats, showing that they can easily rectify a mistake, and admit it. Our government would be wise to learn from this. Obviously it’s best not to put your foot in it in the first place .

They definitely "misspoke" but have realised and are sorting it out. This guy is a in the "one swallow does not a summer make" club.

There was never, and never could be ,a logical solution to NI being in the UK and not in the EU without there being a border on the island of Ireland.

Hmm, one of the much criticised ‘mates contracts’ was to the woman who’s masterminded the Vaccine procurement.

Anybody who who was quite vociferous at the time (posters on Gransnet) and called for the immediate resignation of Kate Bingham like to retract their criticism of her.

No I thought not?

Well, she is quite a controversial figure. Right from the start of the pandemic countries that did well in controlling the virus had people in government with scientific backgrounds and Kate Bingham studied biochemistry. I wish they’d listen more to David Davis, an MP who has a scientific background and someone who talks a lot of sense (about COVID that is!). I will always give credit where credit is due. I even wrote and thanked Nadine Dories when she spoke in parliament about the importance of mask wearing. Never thought I’d see the day when she and I were besties. She soon did something infuriating yet again though, so my admiration was short lived.

Wow! I don’t think I could have been that gracious?

She was my MP for a short while and I was ashamed to admit it!

Whether in or out of the EU, and be it on vaccines, or imports/exports, security and so much more- we have to work with Europe, and they with us. All the sabre/vaccine rattling is not good for anyone. Because we will win some and certainly lose some too- cooperation is the only way forwards.

vegansrock

The government, unlike some Brexit supporters on here, are playing this down, they have to tread carefully over NI, and we have to work with the EU over many issues, so they are, for once, being wisely diplomatic. The EU have quickly dropped the original threats, showing that they can easily rectify a mistake, and admit it. Our government would be wise to learn from this. Obviously it’s best not to put your foot in it in the first place .

Since we are not politicians, we don’t have to be diplomatic
But can speak our minds.
I think our government has played it exactly right, and are making friendly noises now about vaccines to the EU.
Politically the right thing to do, makes the UK look very gracious indeed.

Agree Lemongrove.

It's not the same thing biba. Taking a different route to ensure a sufficient supply of vaccines isn't the same as trying to block pre ordered and pre paid for vaccines, to compensate for a failure to be as pro active as you should have been.

Yes biba "we have to work with Europe, and they with us" and the EU haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over their attempt to deprive the UK of vaccines already ordered and paid for, as well as redacting parts of the contract they had with their supplier so they would appear to be in the right, when they knew they weren't.

MayBee70

It’s a pity he was so busy standing up to ‘these bullies’,sorting out his divorce etc at the start of the year and couldn’t be bothered to attend COBRA meetings or he might have noticed there was a pandemic.

What on earth has that got to do with this thread?

it has to do with how we got to where we are now 100.000 and growing.