A British government minister said the UK won the race to approve a vaccine against covid-19 because it is a “better country”, threatening to further deteriorate relations with European partners at a critical time for negotiations on the future post-Brexit.
“We have the best people in this country and we obviously have the best medical regulator, much better than the French, much better than the Belgians, much better than the Americans,” Education Minister Gavin Williamson said in statements to Radio LBC. “It doesn’t surprise me at all, because we are a much better country than any of them.”
This is the moment Gavin Williamson told @NickFerrariLBC the UK was the first to approve a vaccine because “we’re a much better country”pic.twitter.com/1PtkOJ1CeB
— Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) December 3, 2020
The statements come shortly after another Boris Johnson Executive Minister, Minister for Economy, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, said the decision to approve the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine – which was developed in the US and Germany – it was a sign that “the United Kingdom led humanity’s attack on this disease”.
The statement drew criticism from the German ambassador in London who, on Twitter, argued that the development and approval of the vaccine is not a national issue.
“Why is it so difficult to recognize this important progress as a great effort and international success,” wrote Andreas Michaelis on the social network. “I don’t think this is a national story. Although the German company BioNTech has made a crucial contribution, it is a European and transatlantic issue.”
Comments by British government officials come at a time when the deadline for an understanding between the UK and the EU on the future trade relationship is approaching, and when France – one of the countries minimized by the Minister of Education – is threaten to veto an agreement.
The United Kingdom intends to start vaccinating the population as early as next week, after having obtained the green light yesterday from the regulator for the use of the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech against covid-19.
– .
