Politics latest news: EU won't stop our Pfizer supply, says vaccines minister

Cat Neilan
Nadhim Zahawi said he was confident the row would not disrupt supplies - Bloomberg
Nadhim Zahawi said he was confident the row would not disrupt supplies - Bloomberg

The EU's threat to block exports of the Belgian-made Pfizer vaccines will not affect the UK's supply, a minister has pledged this morning.

Brussels last night imposed tighter controls on exports after becoming embroiled in a row with AstraZeneca, with the drugs company expected to deliver 50 million fewer doses to the EU than expected. This morning German health minister Jens Spahn backed the EU's stance, saying Europe should have its "fair share".

The UK is is expecting almost 3.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the next three weeks.

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, said he had spoken with bosses at both pharma giants, telling Sky News he was "confident they will both deliver the supplies we need to meet mid-February target and beyond that".

However he dodged questions about whether he had received guarantees on deliveries. He later told the BBC "supplies are tight... they are lumpy and bumpy", but stressed that deliveries would come through.

Mr Zahawi insisted relations with the EU were still positive, saying "We will always support them, they are our neighbours, friends, allies, trading partners."

He added: "I think it would be very unwise for me to engage in their negotiations and their deliberations on their vaccine policy", although warned against any "vaccine nationalism".

Follow the latest updates below.

08:44 AM

DfE 'useless' and Boris Johnson not prioritising schools, claims Labour MP

Labour has questioned whether the Government is prioritising reopening schools following mixed messages from Boris Johnson and Downing Street yesterday, and slammed the Department for Education as "useless".

Shadow schools minister Wes Streeting told BBC Radio 4's Today: "The Prime Minister said yesterday that he was looking at and hoping to ease restrictions from mid-February but then later the same day Downing Street was saying that schools may not reopen until Easter. That does not sound to me like education being the priority."

He added: "We're criticising ministers for lacking a plan and being passive bystanders when it comes to education and behaving as if everything is out of their control.

"Of course the decision about a date has to be driven by the trajectory of the virus - we all understand that. But Government can and should be acting now.

"And bluntly, given the absolute state we've seen from the Department for Education over the best part of the year... it is entirely reasonable - indeed necessary - to ask the Government for a plan because if there is one thing we know from the Department for Education, it is that they are absolutely useless when it comes to planning and preparation and actively doing everything they can to get children learning."

08:38 AM

AstraZeneca withholding EU vaccines because they paid less, French MEP suggests

A French MEP has implied that AstraZeneca is witholding Covid vaccines because the EU negotiated "lower prices" than the UK.

Véronique Trillet-Lenoir, an oncologist and politician of La République En Marche, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she was "quite surprised and disappointed to see [AstraZeneca's] methods, which are unfair and unacceptable", noting that the European Commission "has been negotiating on behalf of 27 states, which made possible lower prices."

Asked if she thought the EU was missing out because the UK had paid more, she said "it could really be an explanation... other countries are paying a higher price. It is their choice, but it should not enter into the pharma's decisions."

However she defended the EU's approach, saying "many states could not even think of a vaccine if they could not rely on commission. It is good, it is safe, but it is happening in an ecosystem which is very competitive."

Ms Trillet-Lenoir stressed all countries should have "access to a minimum level of doses of the vaccine", adding: "I would be as concerned if the UK was in difficulties with AstraZeneca".

08:25 AM

New Zealand unlikely to open borders for 'much of this year', says Jacinda Arden

New Zealand has given us a glimpse of what could be in store for the rest of us, after Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said the country's were likely to remain closed for much of the year.

The emergence over the weekend of New Zealand's first case of community transmission in more than two months showed the danger Covid-19 still posed to a nation hailed for its response to the coronavirus, she said.

"Given the risks in the world around us and the uncertainty of the global rollout of a vaccine, we can expect our borders to be impacted for much of this year," she told reporters.

New Zealand's borders have been effectively closed to all but returning citizens since last March, although they are exploring "travel bubbles" with Australia and Pacific island nations, which have also been largely successful at keeping out or containing the virus.

Jacinda Ardern said the government would not re-open its borders while the pandemic was still raging worldwide - Getty
Jacinda Ardern said the government would not re-open its borders while the pandemic was still raging worldwide - Getty

08:19 AM

'Too early' to think about foreign summer holidays, says minister

Another minister has said it is "too early" for people to think about summer holiday plans, amid growing concerns that foreign trips could be off the agenda for some time yet.

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, told BBC Breakfast: "I would say it is too early to begin to speculate on summer holidays.

"I think the right thing to do now is to continue with our vaccination drive. I think on Saturday we got to half a million first dose jabs in a single day - we continue to make great progress."

He told Sky News: "At the moment we have reached Base Camp, if I could describe it as that - over 6.5 million people now with the first dose. There is a long way to go."

Read: The Government is threatening to consign holidays to history

08:13 AM

AstraZeneca must give Europe its 'fair share' of Covid vaccine, says German minister

German health minister Jens Spahn backed the EU's proposals to block exports of the Covid-19 vaccine, saying Europe should have its "fair share".

The EU has proposed setting up a register of vaccine exports amid frustration over delays in deliveries of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot and other supply problems.

"I can understand that there are production problems but then it must affect everyone in the same way," Spahn told ZDF television.

"This is not about Europe first but about Europe's fair share," he said, adding it therefore made sense to have export limits on vaccines.

Production problems "must affect everyone in the same way," Jens Spahn said - Bloomberg
Production problems "must affect everyone in the same way," Jens Spahn said - Bloomberg

08:10 AM

Primary schools likely to reopen before secondary schools, minister hints

Primary schools could reopen before secondary schools, a minister has hinted.

Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News that infection rates were "much lower" in primary schools - noting secondary schools had five-time the rate - suggesting they could reopen first.

Asked if that was possible from the February half term, he said; "It will happen, it will happen as a priority, I can't give you a timeline but it is an absolute priority."

08:07 AM

Quarantine hotels to block new variants will be announced today, minister confirms

Ministers are expected to sign off plans for quarantine hotels today, in a bid to keep the new variants from spreading throughout the UK.

It is thought the hotels - where international arrivals must stay for 10 days - will be targeted at high-risk regions including South Africa, South America and Portugal initially.

The Health and Business Secretaries will be "heavily engaged" with industry to discuss support, the vaccines minister said this morning.

Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News: "There will be an announcement on this issue later on today, so I can only say to you that it is the right thing to do, because I am the vaccines minister, that as we vaccinate more of the adult population, if there are new variants like the South African or the Brazilian variants, we need to be very careful.

"We acted on those very quickly and of course dealt with travel from those countries, and from Portugal and elsewhere, rapidly so it is important we continue to review our border policy and an announcement will be made when a decision has been taken."

07:54 AM

Boris Johnson fights to reopen schools before Easter

Boris Johnson is fighting to get schools open before Easter amid growing concerns over the damage being done to a generation of children by the third coronavirus lockdown.

Government sources said on Monday night that mid-March is now viewed by ministers as the target deadline by which to reopen schools.

Confirmation is expected this week that hopes of children returning to the classroom after the February half-term break will not be met. Labour will table an urgent question in the Commons on Tuesday to demand answers on the Government's plan.

It comes as a further six Tory MPs on Monday joined the campaign group UsforThem, which calls for schools to fully reopen or for ministers to quantify the harms and benefits of the schools shutdown, taking the total number of Conservatives opposing the prolonged closures to 17.

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