Vaccine farce typifies Euro ineptitude

I HAVE never had the slightest doubt that the UK leaving the EU and its costly red tape was in our best interests. The farcical state of affairs over the AstraZeneca vaccine is a classic illustration of Euro mismanagement.

Brussels was very late in placing orders for vaccines due to their sluggishness in decisionmaking and complex purchase procedures.

The result was that they were about 12 weeks behind the UK in placing orders.

For their political leadership this was bad news, for the name of the game is to beat Britain in every field and impress on the remaining 27 that it would be a very bad idea to quit like the UK.

Some countries were pretty abysmal in terms of achievement which resulted in one or two opting to independently purchase their own supplies, such as Hungary.

France has been particularly unsuccessful. President Macron also distinguished himself by saying the Oxford vaccine was unsuitable for the over 65s, thus ignoring WHO and Brussels advice, then having to do a U-turn due to mounting pressure from his electorate.

To cap it all, despite a surging third Covid wave throughout Europe, many countries suspended using the Oxford vaccine due to concerns about the after effects.

Unsurprisingly, Brussels confirmed that the vaccine was perfectly safe and that the benefits outweighed any subsequent problems. How many people lost their lives due to political intervention?

Brussels will, without doubt, continue to make life difficult for Britain as so clearly illustrated by the mammoth pile of paperwork that now has to be processed for imports and exports due to Brexit.

Our politicians must make appropriate reciprocal moves to counteract such unnecessary disruption to trade.

It will help the British cause. however, if people support home manufactured and produced goods, thus cutting our imports and helping to rebalance trade. It will also help if the Government does its bit by making basic costs, such as power, much cheaper.