The former royal yacht Britannia

The former royal yacht Britannia | MDB files

Jason MoorePalma01/06/2021 12:42
W3

The decision by the British government to build a flagship yacht to promote UK PLC across the globe should be welcomed by all. It will be the perfect platform to promote Britain in the post-Brexit era. I know that the decision has many critics from those who complain about the cost (about 200 million pounds) to those who say that it will be yet another “toy” for the royal family. Total nonsense.

The yacht will be built in Britain and will safeguard scores of skilled jobs and lead to apprenticeships which will help further the interests of British shipbuilding. It could also lead to further orders. Secondly, anyone who has seen the former royal yacht Britannia in action will tell you, that commercially speaking, she was worth her weight in gold. The decision to make her redundant was silly to say the least and was driven more by politics than moneysaving moves.

One of the Royal Navy´s new destroyers cost one billion pounds each, so 200 pounds is just a drop in the ocean. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to rebuild Britain´s battered shipbuilding industry, once the envy of the world. At the moment what is left of it, survives with ship orders from the Royal Navy.

The new flagship yacht could be part of a new dawn for British shipbuilding. It is easy to be critical and it is simple to say that it would be complete waste of money. But it could also be a question of nothing ventured nothing gained. It could be a fresh start for industry.