Answering a question from Health Committee Chair Jeremy Hunt in the Commons today, Matt Hancock warned the EU of grave consequences if it went ahead with threats to block vaccine shipments to the UK that have already been agreed:

“There is of course a need for all countries to respect contract law. That is the basis of international trade, and I’m sure that the European Union will live up to the commitments and statements that it has made, including President von der Leyen herself who has said that there should not be restrictions on companies when they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities. 

Of course there should not, and we fully expect those contracts to be delivered on because there are very significant consequences to breaking contract law.”

Hancock went on to contrast the UK’s vaccine internationalism – helping create a non-profit vaccine designed to aid the developing world – with the EU’s export bans and threats of worse. A stark comparison.