@shadowen Said
It's interesting the reaction to the vaccination programme of the UK compared to that of the EU. Had the roles been reversed we would be hearing of little else from rejoiners. They would be using it as an example of why an independent UK was doomed to fail and that only the autocratic EU could save the country. Only the situation isn't reversed and when europhiles aren't desperately making excuses for their beloved EU they are attempting to downplay the success of the UK's roll out. What a shock.
The vaccination rollout has absolutely nothing to do with Brexit. And the only reason you're referring to it at all is because it is something that Boris Johnson got lucky with and can now claim to have done right.
When the Astrazenica vaccine was first created, there was a lot of concern that it hadn't been properly tested, and actually, it hadn't. To fully test any new medication takes several years and rigorous evaluation, monitoring and peer review. None of these things happened so it is reasonable to say it was not fully tested.
The EU took reasonable steps to first check whether or not they should endorse this vaccine on the basis of what was known, and whether or not to sanction its use EU-wide. Reasonable and sensible.
Johnson, on the other hand, took a punt. Without any consultation with Parliament, or adequate precaution, he committed the entire population of UK to the use of what could have been a dangerous product.
He got lucky.
It turned out that the vaccine is efficacious and does produce a good protection from the symptoms of Covid 19. Had it not been, it is possible that literally millions of people may have suffered whatever ill effects that came of it.
As I say....... Johnson got lucky and as such, is now in a position to claim that his decision was an inspired move. We are all grateful for this because nobody here wanted it to fail. Bearing in mind that we all have loved ones in vulnerable groups (eg: elderly relatives) the last thing we wanted was to be "proved right"....... and see our relatives suffer the effects of what would have been Johnson's folly.
Not that he would have taken any blame. He would immediately have blamed Astrazenica and claimed that he took their advice on the basis of the advice of his "experts" at home. Professor Chris Whitty would have been the first to be hung out to dry.
The EU rollout was not long delayed by taking the reasonable checks and controls put in place by the Union. What turned it into a problem was the failure of Astrazenica to meet the order placed by Brussels.
For some <ahem> "inexplicable" reason, all of a sudden, the Astrazenica manufacturing process began to have "production difficulties" with the EU order. Of course, there was no problem producing the UK order, even though all production was carried out on the same processing equipment. Apparently, it only broke down when it was supposed to be making vaccine for Europe's order.
Funny, that, eh..?
But at no time and in no way whatsoever was the vaccine rollout in UK any part of any Brexit process.
You must be really desperate for something to call a "success" if you're conflating the Covid vaccine with Brexit.