Anti-Brexit Politicians queued up to slam the Government over the summer for rejecting the EU’s common vaccine procurement and distribution scheme that has so far held up any EU member state from being able to vaccinate its population. Guido noted this morning that in two weeks the UK carried out more vaccinations than Germany expects to be able to in the early part of next year. Yet until recently the mainstream pro-EU view was that the UK had shot itself in the foot by leaving the EU’s collective vaccine scheme.

Guido has previously noted the now-comical media editorials, in both The Observer and Guardian recently claiming that “Brexit means coronavirus vaccine will be slower to reach the UK – and it will cost more here because of the UK pulling out of the European Medicines Agency on 30 December”, and the Independent claiming the Government was “putting Brexit before health”. Now we know if these pro-EU politicians had got their way we’d still be desperately waiting for a single vaccine dose:

• Labour’s Catherine West (a Shadow Europe Minister) said “UK opts out of EU vaccine scheme – Dumber and dumber.”
• LibDem’s Munira Wilson (Health spokesman) said “Shame we weren’t part of the EU vaccine procurement prog, or we’d have early access to the Moderna vaccine, as well as Pfizer vaccine.”
• Labour’s Ruth Cadbury said “Brexit = leaving the EMA = longer waits & higher prices for new drugs”
• LibDem’s Layla Moran (Foreign Affairs spokesman) said “Walking away from the EU vaccines scheme is putting ideology ahead of public health. You would think that during a pandemic ministers would put political dogma aside. But it seems for this government it’s Brexit over vaccines”
• Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy said “by refusing to join the EU’s vaccine scheme, the Government is yet again putting ideology before saving lives.”
• LibDem’s Ed Davey (LibDem leader) said “The PM must confirm that the UK will take part in the EU vaccine plan. This is no time for silly Brexit games.”
• Labour’s Paul Blomfield (a Shadow Brexit Minister) said “Backing the EU initiative for a coronavirus vaccine is a positive step”

Meanwhile anti-Brexit campaign founded by Gina Miller Best for Britain hyped up the EU scheme mocked Matt Hancock for saying an independent Britain could do it faster, and even launched a campaign for the UK to join the EU’s vaccine procurement, saying “make sure Britain doesn’t fall to the back of the queue for a coronavirus vaccine.” Perhaps their efforts would have been better placed convincing the EU to let the UK run their procurement for them…