A THREAD: The war of rhetoric between UK and EU cannot be deescalated while dismissing their complaint as sour grapes over Brexit. It creates a narrative that the UK cannot influence, by declaring fatalistically the EU already decided to 'punish us'. It's also not true. ~AA 1/7
Of course there is an equitable solution to be found but both parties have to look for it. And a precondition to finding it is the ability to see their grievance from their point of view - a skill for which our gov't (and much of our press) has shown little aptitude. ~AA 2/7
This is how it looks to EU leaders: they're battling a variant third wave, for which they see the UK as partly responsible, while our gov't wastes no opportunity to provoke them, humiliate them in front of their electorates, and gloat about its own vaccination programme. ~AA 3/7
It's not good enough simply to 'call dibs'. The EU must act and this forces it into extreme courses of action that the UK actually does NOT want it to resort to. It sours an already strained relationship, at a time we need to be smoothing it, for the sake of our recovery. ~AA 4/7
There's no argument to be made that the AstraZeneca vaccine is 'British' which does not also open the door to the argument that other vaccines are therefore 'NOT British'. Other vaccines, on which the UK may end up heavily relying on, down the line. And it may backfire. ~AA 5/7
Are we certain that planting our flag on just one vaccine is a smart thing? What happens if there's further disruption to AZ supply from India? What happens if, for instance, AZ proves ineffective against a future variant? What goodwill can we rely on in that eventuality? ~AA 6/7
Diplomacy is always more effective than chest-beating, especially when yours is not the biggest chest in the contest. Ending up in a situation where the UK is left isolated from, and despised by, the allies on which it depends, for the sake of gloating, is not a victory. ~AA 7/7
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