Inside Politics: EU threatens to withhold vaccine shipments from UK

Commission chiefs claim AstraZeneca jabs will ‘stay in Europe’ unless the company provides more doses, writes Adam Forrest

(Getty Images)

Can anything heal Europe’s wounds? Maybe Eurovision could bring us all back together again? The Dutch government has decided thousands of spectators can gather inside Rotterdam arena to watch this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. I don’t think even the glitz, glamour and truly atrocious music of Eurovision could lift the sour mood across the continent right now. EU Commission chiefs are once again threatening to block vaccine exports – saying there is “nothing” left to negotiate with the UK.

Inside the bubble

Political correspondent Ashley Cowburn on what to look out for today:

Boris Johnson’s relaxed approach to vaccine passports will be the target of a campaign launched today by cross-party MPs, including an unusual alliance between Labour’s left and Conservatives. Elsewhere, in an effort to avoid a cultural wasteland when the economy reopens, Oliver Dowden will unveil the recipients of £400m-worth of grants and loans.

Daily briefing

LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION: The UK is pleading with the EU to show “solidarity and cooperation” stay in talks after one of Brussels’ top officials threatened to block exports. Thierry Breton, the EU Commission’s internal market commissioner, said there would be no exports of UK-Swedish giant AstraZeneca’s vaccine outside the EU until the company meet its (claimed) commitments. “If [AstraZeneca] does more, we don’t have any issue. But as long as it doesn’t deliver its commitment to us, the doses stay in Europe,” Breton said. “We have nothing to negotiate”, he added. Meanwhile, it has emerged that Boris Johnson’s government invested around £21m in a Dutch vaccine factory at the centre of the threatened blockade. The money for the factory in Leiden was meant to help secure the smooth supply of jab shipments for the UK, according to The Telegraph. Tory MPs say it shows just why any EU export ban would be so outrageous. Steve Baker said: “Even in my worst Eurosceptic moments, I would never have dreamt the EU would behave like this.” Worst Eurosceptic moments. Lol.

CREEPING DREAD: Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has joined the lockdown sceptics in the Tory party to launch a campaign opposing Covid passports in England. A cross-party group of more than 70 MPs insist any demand to prove vaccination status would be “divisive and discriminatory”. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey accused No 10 of “creeping authoritarianism”, said: “We should start getting our freedoms back. Vaccine passports – essentially Covid ID cards – take us in the other direction.” Labour’s Diane Abbott and the Lib Dems’ Layla Moran also opposed certification. They won’t be pleased how soon the idea is becoming reality. Vaccine passports are set to be trialled at big sporting events within weeks, according to The Telegraph (including the FA Cup final and World Snooker Championships). Boris Johnson defended the passport plan on Thursday, saying certification “will be useful for us as we go forward” and will “definitely play a role” in opening up travel.

JUST INCREDIBLE: Is Boris Johnson backing away from his own race report? Facing an almighty backlash over the review denying structural racism exists, the PM said it was “very interesting piece of work” – but added: “I don’t say the government is going to agree with absolutely everything in it.” In perhaps the most stinging criticism for No 10, Doreen Lawrence said the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparity (CRED) report gives “racists the green light”. Downing Street insisted the departure of the PM’s his most senior black adviser Samuel Kaumu was “absolutely nothing to do” with the report. “Any suggestion that this decision … is linked to the CRED report is completely inaccurate.” Kaumu’s resignation letter, obtained by the BBC, accused the Tory party of pursuing “a politics steeped in division”. Two academics named as “stakeholders” in the report further wrecked its credibility – telling The Independent they had nothing to do with it. “I was never consulted,” said one.

CHILLED ABOUT THE BILLS: Yet more question marks over the Jennifer Arcuri saga. The Tory party has admitted helping Boris Johnson pay his legal bills in fighting claims he had used his position as London mayor to “benefit” the pole-dancing entrepreneur. A spokesperson said the party had helped him with money – and blaming Labour for making it a political matter. “Financial legal support was funded by the Conservative party, as the matter was clearly a party political attack.” Who’d be a politician, eh? Tony Blair is wondering just that. He told BBC Radio 4 he did not actually enjoy his time as prime minister because of the “massive scrutiny”. Blair said it was like a Man United fan being put in charge of the, admitting he didn’t know what he was doing when he entered No 10. “The paradox is that you start at your most popular and least capable and you end at your least popular and most capable.” Cameron told the same radio programme he liked making his own cheese sandwiches while at No 10. Fascinating.

HE CAME IN LIKE AN ECKING BALL: Alex Salmond smashed his way inside the Scottish election contest with bang, but it looks like he’s going out with a whimper. A Survation poll, the first to gauge support for the Alba Party, finds only 3 per cent of Scots will back “wee Eck”’s party at the ballot box. The polling guru Sir John Curtice has suggested anything less than 5 per cent will leave him seatless. “The headline is that it looks as though it’s all over for Salmond,” said Sir John. Could Salmond still build support? Well, the same poll also found 71 per cent of Scots view him unfavourably. So probably not. The former SNP leader is writing a stern letter to the broadcasters Ofcom, demanding the Alba Party is included in TV debates. Those poll numbers will not help his case. Nicola Sturgeon, meanwhile, has made clear she has “no intention” of working with Salmond if he is elected to Holyrood. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said their feud turned the election into a “circus”. A little over four weeks before Salmond says goodbye to the circus for good.

TRUMPETY TRUMP: Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has accused his Tory election rival of using the “Trump handbook”, after his campaign reported Laura Evans to the Electoral Commission. Burnham’s office accused Evans of making a “false statement” on plans for a clear air zone on the region’s roads – with her Facebook page branding the effort “Andy Burnham’s congestion tax”. Burnham fumed: “We are not prepared to allow candidates in this election to play the Trump handbook and say whatever they like without being held to account.” In other news, the government is facing the threat of legal action over links between PPE used in the UK and alleged modern slavery in Malaysian factories. A case is being mounted against the government’s failure to address labour abuses in the NHS supply chain, The Independent understands – despite repeated promises made to crack down on suppliers accused of modern slavery.

On the record

“We are firmly of the opinion at the rate of membership increase that our membership will overtake that of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.”

Alex Salmond insists his new party is going places.

From the Twitterati

“Would you stick around whilst Boris Johnson shows the green light to racists and gaslights ethnic minority communities?”

Jo Maugham on Samuel Kasumu’s resignation…

“Principled adviser to Boris Johnson, also Johnson’s most senior black adviser, has resigned … Samuel when you’re free I would like to buy you a drink or two.”

…and Labour MP Dawn Butler wants to take him out.

Essential reading

John Rentoul, The Independent: Keir Starmer is showing leadership on vaccine passports

Cathy Newman, the Independent: Ministers should have taken action on school rape culture years ago

Martha Gill, New Statesman: How will Johnson get away with the Arcuri claims? Because we will let him

Paul Krugman, The New York Times: Bidenomics is as American as apple pie

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