HMY Britannia did good work promoting British interests abroad and, for example, hosted conferences for the UK's financial services sector. It was not used exclusively by the Royal family. It's replacement never happened because the last Labour administration said the defence budget couldn't afford it. Presumably this would be the same Labour Government that then initiated pointless wars in Iraq & Afganistan that cost billions and god knows how many lives. I like the idea of getting a sponsor on board (pun intended). Perhaps Branson - and the boat could then be called HMY Virgin Queen...
Yeah I don't mind contributing more of my hard earned so that the Queen can have a new Yacht. As long as we all get a go on it.........................
Yeah I don't mind contributing more of my hard earned so that the Queen can have a new Yacht. As long as we all get a go on it.........................
Not sure I want a go on Liz thanks, but you go ahead
Yeah I don't mind contributing more of my hard earned so that the Queen can have a new Yacht. As long as we all get a go on it.........................
Not sure I want a go on Liz thanks, but you go ahead
Cheers, didn't want to step on any toes............
Yeah I don't mind contributing more of my hard earned so that the Queen can have a new Yacht. As long as we all get a go on it.........................
Not sure I want a go on Liz thanks, but you go ahead
Cheers, didn't want to step on any toes............
I don't see it as any different to building two aircraft carriers for an ailing Navy as some sort of token gesture to make us look like we're punching above our weight on the international scene. Replace the word 'Navy' with 'Royal Family' and it's basically the same, except it's not going to cost £2bn to build a yacht.
Also if we need to get over the EU regulations by tendering to European companies, again follow the example of the aircraft carriers and get the French to make and supply the table napkins or something, anything that isn't vital to the keeping the thing afloat anyway. To appease the vitriolic masses they could say that Camilla is frozen out of the Civil List for the remainder of her life or that each year a family selected at random will spend a week on board living the champagne lifestyle.
Either way, without delving into the realms of fantasy any further, I've never really understood the level of bile and anger that a mere mention of the Royal Family can generate amongst some people. As stated above by someone, I'm sure this was all entirely a PR job - gauge a bit of public opinion whilst also simultaneously screwing-over an awkward cabinet member.
Yeah I don't mind contributing more of my hard earned so that the Queen can have a new Yacht. As long as we all get a go on it.........................
Not sure I want a go on Liz thanks, but you go ahead
Cheers, didn't want to step on any toes............
My GF dad had his 60th the other week and they took him to Centre Parks. Im sure Liz n co would love the rapids and we could get her a good deal if its out of season.
Or what about a puzzle or something? My nan loves puzzles and it'll keep her busy for a bit.
Or a nice day out. Think 1StevieG wouldnt mind taking her up the 'london eye'
HMY Britannia did good work promoting British interests abroad and, for example, hosted conferences for the UK's financial services sector. It was not used exclusively by the Royal family. It's replacement never happened because the last Labour administration said the defence budget couldn't afford it. Presumably this would be the same Labour Government that then initiated pointless wars in Iraq & Afganistan that cost billions and god knows how many lives. I like the idea of getting a sponsor on board (pun intended). Perhaps Branson - and the boat could then be called HMY Virgin Queen...
John majors out going government initiated the scraping, Tony's Labour did it.
I say build it, we've spent lots on banks propping them up, for the price of 2 Andy Carrolls we could have something nice to look at.
Try to look at the bigger picture. The £60 million would, as pointed out by an earlier comment, go into an already struggling shipbuilding industry to safeguard hundreds of British jobs, along with associated trades. The finished boat/yatch/yacht would possibly earn the £60 million back in the first couple of years. It would hardly be The Queens personal ship as it would be used by businesses to promote their services the world over, again, hopefully safeguarding more British jobs. It seems as soon as The Queen or The Royals are involved it creates negative reaction from certain people? As I said, try to look at the bigger picture, regardless of your thoughts on The Monarchy.....
Try to look at the bigger picture. The £60 million would, as pointed out by an earlier comment, go into an already struggling shipbuilding industry to safeguard hundreds of British jobs, along with associated trades. The finished boat/yatch/yacht would possibly earn the £60 million back in the first couple of years. It would hardly be The Queens personal ship as it would be used by businesses to promote their services the world over, again, hopefully safeguarding more British jobs. It seems as soon as The Queen or The Royals are involved it creates negative reaction from certain people? As I said, try to look at the bigger picture, regardless of your thoughts on The Monarchy.....
Assuming the contract went to a British yard. EC rules and all that
Try to look at the bigger picture. The £60 million would, as pointed out by an earlier comment, go into an already struggling shipbuilding industry to safeguard hundreds of British jobs, along with associated trades. The finished boat/yatch/yacht would possibly earn the £60 million back in the first couple of years. It would hardly be The Queens personal ship as it would be used by businesses to promote their services the world over, again, hopefully safeguarding more British jobs. It seems as soon as The Queen or The Royals are involved it creates negative reaction from certain people? As I said, try to look at the bigger picture, regardless of your thoughts on The Monarchy.....
Assuming the contract went to a British yard. EC rules and all that
I think that that would need to be the one condition.
It's only the humour that this thread has inspired ( thanks Legaladdick) That stopped me exploding with rage at the mere suggestion of a new royal yatch.
If and when it's built, I sincerely hope it meets the same fate as the Costa (packet) Concordia by hitting a big rock or two and sinking fast with all the 'royals, dukes & duchesses, earls, barons and palace lickspittles' on board and not a lifeboat to be found.
So you're openly wishing that we spend a shed load of money on a new boat just so a number of people can die on it?
I agree they should buy it themselves , they can certainly afford it, but i guess its all part of the cost of having a royal family, i'd sooner have what we've got rather than a dictator , the lesser of 2 evils i think, how much does Air Force 1 cost to run a year just out of interest?
Do you seriously see the alternative to monarchy as dictatorship ? Re Airforce One, how exactly would you expect the President of the United States to travel, Easy Jet ? Either way, this Royal Yacht nonsense is a complet vanity project suggested by an out of touch politican for an equally out of touch old lady.
Wait a minute. What if it is built in Britain, using a number of British companies that could employ hundreds of people and filling up the order books of companies and suppliers for months, if not years, to come. We still build boats and ships in this country and using govt money to build a yacht for the Queen could be no different to any other public money used to build civil projects.
This is a good point but a) why couldn't the RF still fund it themselves, and b) I'm fairly certain under EU regulations it's completely illegal for the government to award a contract to a British company just because they're British. Now if the RF funded it themselves, then perhaps it could be construed as a private project and they could choose anyone they wished which would mean there was nothing to stop them awarding it to a British firm to reward their loyal subjects (!)
There you go, it would all be funded with private money and would still be in the best interest of the Country. What do all you "naysayers" have to say about that then? Nasty Queen eh...... lol
Feck me, there was some poor bastard on here the other day saying his family was about to be plunged onto struggle street because his wife had lost her job - paying the princely sum of 900 quid per month.
There are tens of thousands of people in the country in similar if not worse situations and there is a financial crisis looming that will make 2008 look like the good old days.
How does Michael Gove et al plan to get us out of this? Build a yacht for a family of German billionaires.
If anyone really thinks that the taxpayer won't end up forking out for this then they are a bloody idiot of the highest order. Who on earth is going to stump up 60 million quid for a "floating university" in Portsmouth? You could not make it up, could you?
Even more bizarre and tragic are the flag-waving cap doffers who actually think its a good idea because the Daily Mail tells them so.
Feck me, there was some poor bastard on here the other day saying his family was about to be plunged onto struggle street because his wife had lost her job - paying the princely sum of 900 quid per month.
There are tens of thousands of people in the country in similar if not worse situations and there is a financial crisis looming that will make 2008 look like the good old days.
How does Michael Gove et al plan to get us out of this? Build a yacht for a family of German billionaires.
If anyone really thinks that the taxpayer won't end up forking out for this then they are a bloody idiot of the highest order. Who on earth is going to stump up 60 million quid for a "floating university" in Portsmouth? You could not make it up, could you?
Even more bizarre and tragic are the flag-waving cap doffers who actually think its a good idea because the Daily Mail tells them so.
Like I said, look at the bigger picture. Whether the taxpayer pays for it or not, it could be used to safeguard hundreds or maybe thousands of jobs and it's not like it would be The Queen's or The Royal's personal yacht, it's 2012 not 1452 ffs
...even more bizarre and indeed tragic to me Ormiston Addick are those that think that because The Royals are involved it's completely paid for out of public purse and that it's a bad idea because The Guardian/Observer tells them so.
Comments
I like the idea of getting a sponsor on board (pun intended). Perhaps Branson - and the boat could then be called HMY Virgin Queen...
Also if we need to get over the EU regulations by tendering to European companies, again follow the example of the aircraft carriers and get the French to make and supply the table napkins or something, anything that isn't vital to the keeping the thing afloat anyway. To appease the vitriolic masses they could say that Camilla is frozen out of the Civil List for the remainder of her life or that each year a family selected at random will spend a week on board living the champagne lifestyle.
Either way, without delving into the realms of fantasy any further, I've never really understood the level of bile and anger that a mere mention of the Royal Family can generate amongst some people. As stated above by someone, I'm sure this was all entirely a PR job - gauge a bit of public opinion whilst also simultaneously screwing-over an awkward cabinet member.
Or what about a puzzle or something? My nan loves puzzles and it'll keep her busy for a bit.
Or a nice day out. Think 1StevieG wouldnt mind taking her up the 'london eye'
I say build it, we've spent lots on banks propping them up, for the price of 2 Andy Carrolls we could have something nice to look at.
Oh god.
That's classy that is.
Class act.
There are tens of thousands of people in the country in similar if not worse situations and there is a financial crisis looming that will make 2008 look like the good old days.
How does Michael Gove et al plan to get us out of this? Build a yacht for a family of German billionaires.
If anyone really thinks that the taxpayer won't end up forking out for this then they are a bloody idiot of the highest order. Who on earth is going to stump up 60 million quid for a "floating university" in Portsmouth? You could not make it up, could you?
Even more bizarre and tragic are the flag-waving cap doffers who actually think its a good idea because the Daily Mail tells them so.