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THREAD: here's the timeline around the UK not joining the EU coronavirus equipment procurement scheme. it makes interesting reading!
31 January, 2 March, 19 March: British officials in Brussels attend meetings discussing EU scheme to help countries procure coronavirus equipment https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/uk-missed-three-chances-to-join-eu-scheme-to-bulk-buy-ppe and https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/uk-discussed-joint-eu-plan-to-buy-covid-19-medical-supplies-say-officials
17 March: European Commission spokesperson confirms publicly that the UK is entitled to take part in the EU's coronavirus equipment procurement scheme, when asked by @JenniferMerode from the Guardian https://twitter.com/JenniferMerode/status/1239929731669274624
19 March: Boris Johnson is urged by British politicians to join the EU's protective equipment procurement scheme https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-uk-update-boris-johnson-ventilators-eu-procurement-a9411741.html
24 March: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces that the procurement scheme has managed to secure several large orders with manufacturers of protective equipment. The UK isn't among those member sates taking part https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_523
26 March 12.00pm: Asked why the UK has declined to join the scheme, Downing Street spokesperson simply says: “We are no longer members of the EU." Boris Johnson is accused of being "ideological" in refusing to join https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-boris-johnson-eu-medical-equipment-brexit-latest-a9428401.html
26 March 6.45pm: Downing Street spokesperson claims to lobby journalists that in fact, a communications error meant the UK missed the invitation to join the scheme https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1243242223828942855
April 14: Cabinet minister Therese Coffey seems to suggest not joining the scheme was deliberate decision, telling LBC: “The government has made an assessment that by joining the schemes, it wasn’t going to make any particular difference" https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-uk-protective-equipment-uk-ventilators-brexit-latest-a9464236.html
April 21 3.50pm: Foreign Office's top civil servant Sir Simon McDonald tells MPs he briefed ministers about the options and they made "political decision" not to joint the scheme https://twitter.com/patrickwintour/status/1252611531570806784
April 21, 5.15pm: Matt Hancock tells daily press briefing: "As far as I'm aware there was no political decision not to participate in that scheme ... we are now members of that scheme."
April 21, 5.36pm: Government sources tell select journalists that civil servant Sir Simon McDonald to write to 'clarify' that it wasn't a political decision not to join the scheme https://twitter.com/SamCoatesSky/status/1252637396497248257
