UK accepts Brussels ‘made a mistake’ over NI coronavirus vaccine controls

A compromise was struck to prevent a possible hard border with the Republic of Ireland after a flurry of diplomacy followed the EU’s surprise move to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol

Someone being vaccinated (Ben Birchall/PA)

British government ministers have expressed confidence that the European Union will not block vaccines entering the UK, after the two sides agreed to a “reset” in relations to de-escalate tensions.

The UK's Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Saturday that the EU recognises it “made a mistake” in its short-lived but widely-condemned move to override part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland to control shipments of jabs.