Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre protest held

Protesters believe profits from the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre should go towards new vaccines

A protest has been held over plans to sell a £200m government-funded vaccine research centre to a private company.

The Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) in Oxfordshire brought vaccine development and manufacturing under one roof.

The Harwell-based centre is now in discussion with a potential buyer.

The government said its primary objective was to ensure the UK retains a strong, domestic vaccine manufacturing capability.

Campaigners have raised concerns that the VMIC, which was set up as a not-for-profit company, could be sold to a profit-making business.

The protest outside Oxford Town Hall was held ahead of a discussion by Oxford City Council which, while not having direct involvement in the sale, voted unanimously to oppose its privatisation.

Council leader Susan Brown will now write to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, and to the centre's founding universities.

Construction was brought forward because of the pandemic

Organiser Tom Morton, from the We Own It campaign group, said: "Any money that organisation makes can be invested into developing new vaccines, whereas now pharmaceutical companies want to step in.

"That's because everybody in the world needs coronavirus vaccines now, so there's a huge amount of money to be made for shareholders, and that is not what this centre was designed to do."

Chris Jarvis, leader of the Green Group, called the plans "beyond absurd", while Liz Peretz, of Keep Our NHS Public Oxfordshire, said "it beggars belief that there are attempts to sell off this brilliant innovative institution".

The development of the VMIC was fast-tracked during the coronavirus pandemic, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting the site when it was under construction.

A government spokesperson said: "We are supporting VMIC Limited's board to pursue a sale of their company.

"In that process, the government's primary objective is to ensure the UK retains a strong, domestic vaccine manufacturing capability."

The VMIC is now in discussion with one company, a "preferred party" following a wider sales process, with documents suggesting the sale is expected to be completed this month.