Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...-new-royal-ya/

Are these MPs for real ? Is it April fools? I think the Queen can afford to buy her own yacht if she wants one ! Be good if she was subject to the same tax as the rest of her subjects too.

To get it in perspective overseas aid is 0.7% of our GDP i.e. diddly squat. It makes a big difference abroad and we can be proud of it, we're a very rich country. Yes we need to direct more to those most needy in our own country but that needs to come from an increasingly rich section of society, not starving Africans.

Maybe a MOD could move this to 'Current Affairs' , my bad...

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

:shocked:

Seems like time we slashed that and spent it on our own country.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Its peanuts. Trident replacement is costing over £200 billion. If we spent it in this country it would only be on more tax cuts for the rich or this terrific Tory idea of a new boat for the Queen....

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

You do realise that any royal yacht would be used to represent the UK around the globe as previous one's have it wouldn't be a pleasure craft for a good weekend. Also our foreign bribe budget is badly utilised being used more as a fund to extort concessions for UK company's then actually helping anyone.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

£12 billion is not peanuts IMO as there is quite a lot you could do with that if it was spent wisely.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

I'm a fan of foreign aid but 12 billion is too much ,it's more than we give our local authorities to run essential services .Priorities in this case seem wrong .

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Indeed foreign aid can do a lot of good but in these times l certainly think we have to prioritise our own country more.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

There's so much wrong with this it's hard to know where to start

It's not the Queens yacht anymore than Buckingham Palace is the Queens house .It would belong to the people .The Monarch is not legally subject to Income Tax (neither is the Heir to the Throne)she does however pay a voluntary sum equivalent to income tax on her private income

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Typical brexiteer thinking. In an age of instant digital communications and fast, reliable air travel, what we need is a boat for politicians to use for jollies...

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

It`d also double up as a hospital ship as well, like the last one

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

It's a novel thought we could just build a purpose built hospital boat that would do the job better and whilst I can't speak for all countries they would probably respect us more for having spent it on a hospital boat for the need of others than a "yacht"

Or we could use the 12 billion to look after some children refugees in Calais, sort out houses, hospitals and schools where those 3 million EU "pesky migrants" have been turning up without homes, claiming all those benefits without jobs, or claiming jobs they shouldn't as us natives have been queuing up to take, they arrive unable to speak, write (just about breathing) and carrying leprosary, bubonic plague, no eyes all demanding a new leg on our beloved NHS,etc etc

Nah, we got our country back, let's resurrect Concorde, Sinclair spectrum as the only computer, reform the Beatles, Wack the best of coronation street on a blue ray and sail on the good old yacht, let's sail back to the relics of old empire and say "remember us, sorry about that raid and pillaging and taking of your resources and establishing slavery, just remember whilst we we were one of the first to start it we were the first to stop it, we would love for you to do your old buddy a favour."

Don't worry Australia, New Zealand,Hong Kong, Rhodesia l, Montserrat, queen Elizabeth land in Antarctica, I know your pretty much the other side of the globe but you are special, so special I want to prioritise you first despite next door to me there is a half billion people trade block next door to me, bellocks to that they only given me 40% of exports. Nah you Australia population 20 million and queen elizabeth land (population half million penguins and 5 people), you are my priority.

I'm coming I be on the yacht see in a few months

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Your are right, never knew that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMY_Br...a#Construction

I suspect the number of beds were/would be very limited so in the real world, not much use I suspect ..

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

So someone remind me why we got rid of the original Royal Yacht?

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Wasn't the old tub well past her best and costing an ever incrasing amount to maintain?

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

12bn IS peanuts, compared to the 200bn that trident will cost...

---------- Post added at 09:52 ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 ----------


People smuggling?

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

The idea was to entertain foreign investors/business people wasn't it? Seems like a rather antiquated idea and makes you just a bit concerned about the government's plan if this was floated as an idea. It's not as if the UK is lacking in historical and grandiose venues for entertaining visitors. we don't need anything as tacky as a yacht when we have places which were literally made for Kings.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Even that most anti nuke party the greens only put it at £97bn

Source

whereas £12bn ANNUALLY sums up to £360bn over thirty years. Three times as much.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

There's nowt like facts is there...

Some folks just can't help comparing apples with pallets... :D

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

There's MOD costs, and the real costs.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ar-disarmament

It might be nice to have a new boat, but there are much higher priorities both within our own country and elsewhere. It's how out of touch these Tory MPs are that's worrying, and their dogmatic little Englander xenophobic mentality. I don't think it's not a matter of they don't care about poverty in this country or abroad, they've just never come face to face with it and only mix in their own very privileged small cliques.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

It's a pity the EU doesn't seem to wholly agree, what with shipping vast amounts of people and paperwork back and forth between Brussels and Strasbourg in this instant digital age eh? Maybe they're Brexiteers too... ;)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ng-circus.html

---------- Post added at 11:28 ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 ----------

There's really no need to refer to Her Majesty in that tone!!!



:D

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

In these days where money is extremely tight £12 billion would go quite a long way and £200 billion well that would go even further although if it is needed to keep this country secure then it is probably money well spent..

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

£12 billion isn't budget-breaking in the scheme of things. The pension bill alone is going to push over £100bn IIRC.

The UK foreign aid bill isn't entirely without self-interest either. It's one tool at the disposal of the government to influence foreign affairs. There are also cases where it's obvious why it should be needed. If you look at the Ebola issue from last year then poor healthcare and poverty can very quickly become our issue even if you ignore any moral responsibility that a rich nation should have over issues such as that.

Likewise if you're worried about mass migrations then one solution is to reduce the number of failed states. It's undoubtedly in our interests to increase the stability of nations around the world either by helping to stem starvation and disease or helping them to build the infrastructure and economies needed to build stable nations. It's not a magic bullet but they've got no chance if they don't have any economy to speak of or they're all dying.

It doesn't matter how much you attempt to isolate the UK off from the world, the world will come to us either way. When you look at the EU migration crisis then the solution is going to have to be some degree of engagement rather than sitting backing and hoping it solves itself. £12 billion doesn't seem like enough to me considering the power it could have.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

This is so well said :clap:

Taking the long view and helping these countries to help themselves is not in fashion at the moment though. The dominant right wing media would have us just watch the world's troubles from a safe, cheap, distance.

Sad times ...

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

After I posted I knew somebody would say that.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

IIRC it was getting old and costing to much to keep in service.

TBH we should have another Royal Yacht , it wasn't just for the queen, didn't companies tag along to tout business for the country.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

The former royal yacht was a great diplomatic asset less so in the last ten years of it's life because as has been said the costs were too high but a lot of good came out of it for the UK. While most utilise and are happy with digital communication there is still a place for the personal touch and advantages gained by being in the same room as the other person. While it's not the best idea given current circumstances it's far from being the worst and likely would do more for the UK then other things.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

We've got no shortage of great places to host visiting diplomats/businessmen.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

How many of them can float though? ;)

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Or can go to the country of the people concerned and maintain levels required.

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

A royal boat. What a waste of money. It would spend most of its time moored in Australia, New Zealand or the Carribean.

Now royal pushbikes, that's a better idea :D

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

I think this says it all really

http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk...sh-ambassador/

Re: Build the Queen a new yacht using oversea aid budget !!
 

Britania, yes, royal yacht, no. Gives out the wrong message at home. Luxury yachts are associated with heartless, corrupt business men like Green and Maxwell.