Delta strain continues to ravage unvaccinated countries; UK health secretary hits out at unvaccinated care home workers

Campaigners have accused the UK government of creating a system of “vaccine apartheid” by blocking an intellectual property waiver for coronavirus vaccines.

India and South Africa first proposed waiving intellectual property rights for vaccines at the World Trade Organization (WTO) a year ago today.

Right now, Boris Johnson is enforcing a system of vaccine apartheid.

Given the British government’s failure to export or supply more than a tiny trickle of doses, the least we can do is get out of the way of others producing their own vaccine. Failing to act will shame the UK for a generation or more.

We have so much untapped vaccine manufacturing capacity, but corporate monopolies are creating an artificial shortage of Covid jabs. For an entire year, the UK has quashed pleas from low- and middle-income countries to waive patents and millions have died in the process.

Ten thousand people die every day that the UK continues to block a vaccine intellectual property waiver at the World Trade Organization. Each one of those deaths should be a stain on the conscience of the prime minister.

The beginning of a new session is a time for renewal and fresh thinking, providing an opportunity to look to the future and our future generations.

Next month, I will be attending Cop26 events in Glasgow.

Today is also a day when we can celebrate those who have made an extraordinary contribution to the lives of other people in Scotland, locally or nationally during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here.