Article 16

Oooh, a new Article to write about.

But a short post on the fact that for four and a half years, the EU has barely put a step wrong in its dealings qith the UK in regard to Brexit and COVID. And yet they did yesterday.

For a while, the weaponisation of vaccine supply has been brewing, with the UK, its Government and Consiervative Party using it for overt nationalism.

The UK souced its own vaccine supply, at double the cost of the EU's purchase, but nothing about that could have been done if the UK was still a member state.

But for three days there was argumants of the Astra-zeneca vaccine to the EU, in that there were supply problems, whilse supplies to the UK would remain unchanged.

The created a Holy row between the EU and the company, wether under terms of the contract between the two sch actions by the supplier were allowed.

While we were out yesterday, the EU invoked Article 16 of the NO Proticol, without consultation with any member states, incluing Ireland, nor the UK. THis gave the DUP and Brexiteers to speak from the higher moral position whilst appearing nationalistic.

It was short lived, the EU backed down, but this shows that both sides have to work together, not just on COVID, but in all areas of the agreement. Saying that, the virus will not be defeated until we are all vaccinated. Using vaccines in a trade war or international disagreement will only benefit the virus and cause more deaths.

More grown up thinking and acting required from both sides required.

Of course, the UK acted as though NI, the peace process and lately, the NI Protocol didn't matter, only when it could be used for political purposes. The UK Government almost got a domestic law passed that would have enabled it to break the NI Protocol, and never appologised for that.

The EU made a mistake, realised it and reveresed the decision. But guess who's the bad guys in the press this morning?