It's not over yet. Even the Observer has to lead on it, although, curiously the Sunday Times left the story to page 8.
It's not over yet. Even the Observer has to lead on it, although, curiously the Sunday Times left the story to page 8.
EU’s vaccine blunder reopens Brexit battle over Irish border
Tory MPs use short-lived announcement of export ban to call for overhaul of trade deal, as EU chief is attacked over U-turn
The European Union’s threat to impose a vaccine border between Northern Ireland and the Republic risks reigniting one of Brexit’s bitterest disputes, as senior Tories said the move proved the need for an immediate overhaul of the bloc’s treatment of Northern Ireland....David Jones, a Brexiter and former Tory cabinet minister, [and A Foster, T Villiers and other 'senior Tories'] said: “The protocol must go. The EU have shown how ready they are to weaponise it, even with no provocation, in a fit of spite. We have to put more sensible measures in its place.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned the move and the pharmaceutical industry warned that the measures would damage their vaccination efforts....the heads of the UK- and Europe-wide industry bodies jointly warn that export bans would leave them “trying to fight the pandemic with our hands tied behind our backs”.
The row has heaped huge pressure on European commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who has already faced blame over the relative slowness of the EU’s vaccination programme compared with nations such as the US, UK and Israel.
As I say, it doesn't seem to be over yet...
The Irish government will instead [still] be required to report on the quantity of doses distributed to Northern Ireland in a sign that the commission remains concerned that it could be a backdoor route for the movement of vaccines to the rest of the UK....An EU official said: “We have also got suspicions that certain vaccinations are leaving Europe instead of coming to us, so we have put in place this mechanism to check.”
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