Thank you for writing that out, it's quite similar to how I would have answered. In particular, I would have emphasized that timing wasn't just about regulatory

Thank you for writing that out, it's quite similar to how I would have answered. In particular, I would have emphasized that timing wasn't just about regulatory approval but also about when firm commitments were made to manufacturers, and that the UK government has gone to considerable lengths to support the infrastructure and logistics of the operation. The EU was trying to negotiate the best deals and avoid committing to anything, and some of its member states seem to have been trying to push decisions in favour of their own businesses. The UK took more of a "just get it done" stance. One of these strategies has obviously been far more effective than the other. Another important point I'd add is that the UK leadership has always recognised the importance of public confidence in the vaccines and how important it is to take them when your turn comes. They've consistently argued that the vaccines were safe and people should trust them, published regular figures to show how the vaccination programme has been progressing, made sure high profile people were seen to be taking the vaccines when it was their turn, etc. Compare that to the kinds of negative rhetoric from parts of the EU, with several member states blocking distribution of the AZ vaccine as recently as last week in flagrant disregard of the science and the expert advice. As a final point, the UK has so far been an outlier in extending the time between first and second doses for the two-dose vaccines in order to prioritise getting first doses to as many people as possible. This strategy was widely questioned at first, because it meant deviating from what the trial and approvals processes had strictly verified, even if that deviation made sense based on our general scientific understanding at the time. So far, the evidence is definitely supporting it as a good decision, and reports about it now focus more on concern among scientific and healthcare communities that other countries that have been slower with vaccinations aren't learning from the UK's experience here.