Thread by @Telegraph

🔴 Millions of British taxpayers' pounds have been invested into a Dutch vaccine factory at the centre of the threatened blockade by the European Commission.

Thread ~ 🧵👇
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/0…

⛔️ The factory is equipped to produce the Oxford jab following major investment from the UK, but Brussels insists doses must stay in Europe.

💷 The money – reported to be in the region of £21 million – was meant to secure vital shipments to the UK

❌ Brussels has threatened to ban exports and on Thursday vowed there would be "no negotiation" with Downing St.

💉 Insisting that the doses should be diverted to European nations
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/0…

📩 A leaked letter has revealed that Oxford scientists urged an EU nation to invest in the Halix factory with the UK, but the deal was never signed.

The EU would have been likely to have secured millions of doses had the Dutch government acted more decisively, sources suggested

🇪🇺 Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, warned that "zero" jabs would be sent to the UK until AstraZeneca had fulfilled its commitments to Brussels.

🩸Germany suspended routine use of AstraZeneca for people aged below 60 because of fears of rare blood clots

"Even in my worst Eurosceptic moments, I would never have dreamt the EU would behave like this" said Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group

telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/0…

🗓️News that Britain funded the factory now at the centre of the EU blockade comes as shortfalls in AstraZeneca supplies threatens the successful UK vaccine rollout.

GPs have been told to stop administering 1st doses, focusing resources on those awaiting 2nd jabs

🔴 Sir John Bell, a leading figure in the development of AstraZeneca, said dealing with the EU had been like "pulling teeth".

"It has just been a nightmare, for AstraZeneca especially," he said. "I would say it is time for the EU to make its mind up"
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/0…

📌 Brussels has demanded "reciprocity" from the UK.

They believe the UK is dependent on EU vaccine supplies for the completion of its rollout.

💉 Twenty million Pfizer jabs have been exported to the UK since December. Some sources claim the UK's success was "made in the EU"

The European Commission has introduced tougher export rules for Brussels to target countries with 📈higher vaccination rates than the EU and 📉 low exports to the EU, like the UK.

⛔️EU leaders insisted AstraZeneca would have to fulfil its contract before being allowed to export

🔴UK-EU negotiations over the Halix supplies are expected to continue next week.

Read more: telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/04/0…