Hello and welcome to Spectator Out Loud. Every week, a few of our writers from the issue read out their pieces for you.

First up this week, you can hear Matthew Lynn talk about why Europe is so behind on its own vaccination program.

He'll then be followed by Will Noland, the Eaton teacher who was sacked and has since sparked a free speech row.

At the very end, you're here from

historian Mary Wellesley, on the hermit who hid away for the sake of religion. First up,

Matthew Lynn. It was about as grovelling as the letter can get. In June, the health ministers of

Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands were forced by their respective chancellors and prime ministers

to write to

the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, apologising for their efforts to buy

COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of their health systems. It was, they conceded, of utmost importance to have a

common, single and joint approach to the various pharmaceutical companies. At that moment, with the new

coronavirus range across Europe and economies in lockdown, At that moment, with the new coronavirus range across Europe

and economies in lockdown, the EU was busily putting together a plan that would make sure

that if and when a vaccine became available, the continent's citizens would be the first to get the shot.

When it comes to fighting the global pandemic, there is no place for me first, argued Rondelaine when she announced the

scheme, before pointing out that harmful competition for scarce resources should be avoided. Instead,

budgets should be pooled and the mighty buying and regulatory power of the world's largest trading

block would secure access and terms far better than any could individually. Smaller countries, such as a typically

a centric UK, which opted out of the scheme, would be left to fend for themselves as best they

could. It would be a powerful symbol of how the EU could protect its citizens from the gravest threat

in a generation. Vaccine nationalism would be crushed for the common good. Fast forward seven months, however,

and it is clear that it is not working out quite as planned. Europe is falling woefully behind

...