Royal yacht will be a benefit to everyone

No one has suggested taxpayers build the new £60m ‘Royal yacht’ (only £2 per income-tax payer), for millions will happily chip-in.

Loyal Canadians are already leading the way, putting Britain to our eternal shame for having decommissioned HMS Britannia and our Royal Navy.

The Royal family actually only costs each of our 30m income-tax payers, (including the Queen) 66p per week, compared to £6 to the EU, £26 interest on Labour’s national debt and £70 on the NHS.

Yet our politicians will happily support a nationwide Jubilee knees-up with a bizarre ‘barge’, whereas a new Britannia national ‘flag-ship’, designed and build in British shipyards by British shipwrights, using British and Commonwealth craftsman-made furnishings and fittings, will provide a positive solution to unemployment, confidence and growth in our economy, businesses and exports.

A very proud, tangible, lasting national asset in fitting celebration of a Sovereign who has for 60 years devoted herself unfailingly and unselfishly to Britain and our Commonwealth.

That can’t be said of the motley, discredited bunch of career MPs languishing in Parliament and Brussels, slavering over their next pay-packets and gold plated pension perks.

Britannia was designed as a hospital ship (when the Royal Navy had three decrepit hospital ships), a role at which the previous Royal yacht failed.

Britannia was available to the Sovereign in peace-time and dutifully served as an proud ambassador and income generator to Britain, world wide.

Our RAF Queen’s Flight is available for official duties by the government (New Labour used it as a plush taxi!), so too will the new vessel as a hospital ship and for official, educational and trade duties, promoting Britain, British industries and jobs - all to our greater economic benefit.

Of course, the ‘republicans’ (Presidents Balls and Milliband?) would rather cut VAT to 17.5 per cent, boosting personal spending power by barely £2 per week, doubtless to be squandered on cheap imports, ensuring our young unemployed remain unskilled and unemployed, for ever more!

Hoist the main-sail!

Barry M Jones

Bixley Lane, Beckley