Isn't it time to let this go?

[Paddy]

You're intent on mental gymnastics on this particular topic aren't you.

Had we still been in the EU, or been stupid enough to join their procurement process we would have had to distribute it amongst the procurement block, which was practically every country, except the quasi-dictatorship, Hungary. The EU agreement was penned by the Germans/French/Dutch/Italians 3 months prior to EU's contract, and amazingly the EU went with the same contract (i.e. sat on it for 3 months).

In the grand scheme of things I wish we remained, however Brexit did enable us to go it alone on vaccine procurement, and the facts as they stand is that we're doing better than the shambolic EU effort. Given our covid statistics, I'm happy we got vaccines right.

The smug posts criticising the decision not to join EU's procurement are entertaining.

The EU, procurement process was voluntary however, all 27 countries signed up to it. Any EU country could have chosen to go-it-alone. We are too close to Europe to rely on just the UK to be properly vaccinated. The whole of Europe needs to be vaccinated to the maximum before lockdown can fully be dispensed with.

[TheGreenBastard]

Indeed the UK was actually under EU law when the contracts were agreed. So no it would have made no difference, and there would have been a spat. In other words this was not due to Brexit. Other EU countries also have their own national contracts with vaccine suppliers. The difference is that the UK put exclusivity in their terms and conditions. This is not prohibited under EU law.

If the UK had been in the EU the EU wouldn't have been able to impose export restrictions so in fact the UK would have been in a better position. Other countries would have complained but legally there would have been nothing they could have done,

You're intent on mental gymnastics on this particular topic aren't you.

Had we still been in the EU, or been stupid enough to join their procurement process we would have had to distribute it amongst the procurement block, which was practically every country, except the quasi-dictatorship, Hungary. The EU agreement was penned by the Germans/French/Dutch/Italians 3 months prior to EU's contract, and amazingly the EU went with the same contract (i.e. sat on it for 3 months).

In the grand scheme of things I wish we remained, however Brexit did enable us to go it alone on vaccine procurement, and the facts as they stand is that we're doing better than the shambolic EU effort. Given our covid statistics, I'm happy we got vaccines right.

The smug posts criticising the decision not to join EU's procurement are entertaining.

[pr1]

The UK was in the EU when it started its vaccination programme.

The UK left the EU in Jan 2020

[BlasterBates]

You stand a decent chance of getting vaccinated against Covid before you die of old age?

HTH BIDI

The UK was in the EU when it started its vaccination programme.

[BlasterBates]

That sounds a bit alternative factish.

But even if it were true, would it really have made any difference if we were still in the EU?

Indeed the UK was actually under EU law when the contracts were agreed. So no it would have made no difference, and there would have been a spat. In other words this was not due to Brexit. Other EU countries also have their own national contracts with vaccine suppliers. The difference is that the UK put exclusivity in their terms and conditions. This is not prohibited under EU law.

If the UK had been in the EU the EU wouldn't have been able to impose export restrictions so in fact the UK would have been in a better position. Other countries would have complained but legally there would have been nothing they could have done,

[shaunbhoy]

How about you listing the Benefits of Brexit

You stand a decent chance of getting vaccinated against Covid before you die of old age?

HTH BIDI

[vetran]

That sounds a bit alternative factish.

But even if it were true, would it really have made any difference if we were still in the EU?

Sounds like reality to me.

As the Policy publicly announced by the EU is that vaccine has to be purchased at Bloc level (even though Germany ignored that) and they have only just done it yet haven't approved it for use do you think we would have vaccinated 7 million by now?

[ns1]

Brexit is total bollocks but it's done now.

I can't see the likes of Johnson, Gove, Rees Mogg et al changing it.

I seriously doubt even a future Labour Government would be willing to revisit it.

People and businesses will just have to learn to live with it.

[dsc]

It's not only about getting fecking coats from the EU ffs, there's feck all leaving the UK, lorries are going back empty as no one wants to risk paying fines simply for waiting around:

https://twitter.com/donnyc1975/statu...214660096?s=19

Guess who is going to lay all the extra charges in the end?

Loads of companies are saying they cannot export, it used to be a pish take to export, now it's a major hassle. This destroys businesses, which part do you not understand? Christ, look at the bigger picture and how it affects the economy, who gives a feck about the fact that Johnny Gammon doesn't order coats from France very often, if UK companies no longer have easy access to the rest of Europe?

[ns1]

We have vaccine - the EU doesn't!

That sounds a bit alternative factish.

But even if it were true, would it really have made any difference if we were still in the EU?