buctootim

You've missed, no surprise, the nub of the dispute. If AZ had tried and failed to produce a working vaccine or had had delays in producing any vaccine then the EU would have no legal case. The problem is that two of the four production facilities specified in the contract are working normally yet the EU is getting only a small fraction of the doses it ordered. There appears to a clear basis for legal dispute but its impossible for anyone to come to a clear view without knowing what the capacity of each site is and if there are any other annexes or agreements dealing with how delivery priority is determined.

One of the stipulations of the Oxford vaccine research team was that the commercial partner they selected had to to agree to produce it at cost price for, I think, the first year. So no-one is paying more and its part the reason the AZ vaccine is £3 per shot compared with £20-£30 for the others.

A lot more normal than here https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/25/australia-covid-19-lockdown-rules-coronavirus-restrictions-by-state-nsw-victoria-vic-queensland-qld-western-south-australia-wa-sa-nt-act-travel-border-social-distancing-masks

I think it's the consistency that leaves me awestruck.

Ofc its not a coincidence, it's a deliberate plan of action - or in the UK's case inaction until it was too late. Britain has the worst infection and death rate of any major country in the world apart from Belgium - and only then because their maverick chief epidemiologist brought in an odd counting system. Its certainly not by chance the UK has a worse record than Trumps US where they dealt with it by mass rallies and bleach.

Agree. It's primarily the quality of the government response rather than geography.

How about South Korea or Japan? Anyhow most of the population are concentrated in cities. Why do Melbourne and Sydney have nothing like the infection rates of UK cities?

Early on Australia made everybody coming into the country isolate under supervision. As a result their lives are near normal. Whereas the UK continued to make travel free and easy because we needed to be open for business - global Britain bollocks. Thats why we're in our third lockdown and only now recognising OZ, NZ, Japan, Korea etc had it right all along.

She did! She's a psychiatrist, you made it to a case study. I never did.

Actually she might like to be reminded of you. Her and her lecture group found you pretty funny last time.

You mugged yourself off trying to look smart. Don't do it. It's too tricky for you. The idea behind her being an ex was exactly so I didn't have to talk to her anymore. Another of those 'oh so slippery' and hard to grasp concepts for you to wrestle with.

Thats pretty much what happens now tbf. Rhode Island has four electoral college votes whilst California has 55. I don't see the electoral college adds anything now over a direct 'most votes wins' Presidential election. Maybe it did when the country was split on geographical lines or big issues like slavery, but not now.

Agree with most of that. The Republicans seem to have a better pipeline of potential candidates f'sure. Harris and Biden is balanced ticket though - experienced time served, centrist, reliable old white guy with young, BME, slightly more left, up and coming woman. Designed to appeal to maximum number of voters. Where Republicans seem to miss a trick is to get a President and VP who don't each bring in a different voter base.

So you did assume it then. Please tell me you're a comedy persona constructed by somebody clever.

It's 'moot'. Arf

It's blue in real life, honest

Erm. The EU had already changed the VAT rule before we left so um....

Exactly. Its not just that though - its also the huge bureaucratic paper storm that goes with a system that requires every procedure and test to be recorded, justified, billed and paid for. There is a massive cost of the hospital having to bill, the insurance company trying to wriggle out and the consequent ping pong between them, patient, employer and hospital about who pays for what, what is covered and what is covered but not justified. The sue culture doesn't help either. The average cost of medical malpractice insurance for an obstetrician in NYC is $150,000 and they can spend a third of the year in court.

Supporting Saints can't have helped...

Almost uniquely the US healthcare system manages to combine inefficiency, with high cost and so so outcomes - 17.1% of GDP compared with 9.6% in the UK. So the idea that funding it through taxation is more unaffordable than via private insurance is a lie. Glad you're still with us.

And after a while you realise its not efficient to have two bases so close down the UK end and move wholesale.

Latchkey worker

Sure. Adding £180 of costs to a £25 delivery is just the same as before. Going back to consumers not being able to buy from the best or cheapest source is the same as before. Adding £7.5 billion of costs is the same as before. The reason people often say right wingers are thick is because the lies are so simple and easily provable to be wrong.

It’s not just form filling, there are a while east of charges. For example a phytosanitary inspection is £180. For whole truck load of high value product going to a single customer it’s doable. For part loads, deliveries to consumers rather than businesses or lower value produce it’s not

To be fair Owen thought we would get everything we wanted for free - all gain and no pain. All the benefits and no responsibilities and no bill. It's not his fault he is an absolute fuckwit. I blame the parents.