Boris Johnson revealed he contemplated authorising a raid on a Dutch warehouse during the pandemic to retrieve Covid-19 vaccines. In his forthcoming memoir, he recounted meeting senior military officials in March 2021 to discuss the idea, which he acknowledged was ‘nuts’.
Johnson’s memoir, Unleashed, touches on a period during the pandemic when AstraZeneca struggled to export vaccines to the UK from the Netherlands. Johnson wrote that he explored the feasibility of an aquatic raid on a warehouse in Leiden to secure vaccines that he believed legally belonged to the UK.
In 2021, amid concerns over vaccine supply shortages, it was reported that doses of the UK-developed vaccine were allegedly seized by EU leaders and held in a warehouse in Leiden, Netherlands.
The vaccines were reportedly caught in bureaucratic delays, complicated further by the UK’s recent departure from the European Union. This incident sparked controversy, highlighting the tensions surrounding vaccine distribution during the pandemic.
The vaccines were said to have been “kidnapped” as part of wider logistical issues between the UK and EU post-Brexit.
#BREAKING Boris Johnson: we considered ‘aquatic raid’ on Netherlands to seize Covid vaccine pic.twitter.com/DhGlzyUNHF
— NewsPoint (@HaberNoktam) September 28, 2024
Johnson believed the EU was acting with ‘malice and spite’ due to the slower European vaccine rollout compared to the UK’s. He wrote that military leaders informed him the raid was ‘certainly feasible’ using rigid inflatable boats to navigate the Dutch canals.
However, a senior officer pointed out the necessity of explaining why the UK would be effectively invading a NATO ally. Johnson noted that the EU seemed intent on preventing the UK from obtaining the five million doses, despite showing little intention of using the AstraZeneca doses themselves.
Another excerpt from the memoir details his attempt to dissuade the Duke of Sussex from relocating to the United States. Johnson stated that Downing Street and Buckingham Palace requested his intervention in January 2020, just hours after Prince Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step back from royal duties.
Johnson described the incident as ‘a ridiculous business’ and a ‘manly pep talk’ that was ‘totally hopeless’. The two men met for 20 minutes during a UK-Africa investment summit in London’s Docklands.
What Other Media Are Saying
- Sky News reports Boris Johnson considered authorising a raid on a Dutch warehouse in 2021 to retrieve covid vaccines due to EU export restrictions, a plan deemed “nuts” by military officials. (Read more)
- The Guardian reports Boris Johnson considered an aquatic mission to seize covid vaccines from a Dutch warehouse during the pandemic, sparking controversy over UK-EU relations. (Read more)
- The Mirror lambasts Johnson’s “half-brained” scheme, stressing how it underscores his disconnect from reality during the pandemic, and questions the leadership qualities that led to such reckless ideas. (Read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Did Boris Johnson consider a raid to retrieve Covid-19 vaccines?
Yes, Boris Johnson considered an aquatic raid on a Dutch warehouse to retrieve vaccines.
What did Boris Johnson say about his plan to raid a warehouse for vaccines?
He admitted that the plan was ‘nuts’, though technically feasible according to military officials.
Why did Boris Johnson talk to Prince Harry about staying in the UK?
Downing Street and Buckingham Palace asked him to persuade Harry not to move to the US.
How long did Boris Johnson’s conversation with Prince Harry last?
The conversation lasted 20 minutes on the sidelines of a UK-Africa investment summit.
Why did Boris Johnson believe the EU was treating the UK with malice during the vaccine rollout?
He felt the EU was spiteful because their vaccine rollout was slower than the UK’s.
