FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a news conference on the ongoing situation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in London, Britain March 20, 2020. Julian Simmonds/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday for refusing to participate in a European Union ventilator procurement programme.

“There is no reasonable justification for Boris Johnson’s refusal to participate in the EU’s procurement of ventilators. Surely we should be trying every possible means to get people seriously ill with coronavirus the ventilators they need,” Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats said.

“It looks deeply irresponsible not to work with our European neighbours on this.”