'EMA has no authority to issue [...] emergency-use authorization [...] that power falls to national governments. Yet not all governments have the capacity to swiftly review highly specialized clinical-trial data and reach a judgment.' 1/4 https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-chafes-at-slow-pace-of-covid-19-vaccine-approval-11608036518

Reminder: MHRA was

'a rapporteur or co-rapporteur in 15.4% of centralised procedures & scientific advice co-ordinator in 21% of cases. In decentralised procedures, [.] the UK was the reference Member State in 45% of cases for a medicine’s approval.'

2/4 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmbeis/382/38207.htm

And from the WSJ piece:

'EMA has been slower than the U.K., whose chief regulator started posing questions earlier in the process and was quicker to make follow-up queries, sometimes within minutes of an answer, said people who worked with both agencies recently.' 3/4

And here is an expert academic prediction from March, which shows a complete lack of understanding of the capabilities of the MHRA. 4/4

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/why-brexit-will-delay-uk-getting-vaccine-and-cost-more