Do we need a £3bn flagship for the fleet?

THE picture of HMS Queen Elizabeth steaming majestically into Portsmouth Harbour (Mail) filled me with a sense of patriotism and pride at an awe-inspiring achievement of British engineering. It should bring us all together to celebrate our country. G. SHERIDAN-WALLIS,

Seaview, Isle of Wight.

WHY buy U.S. aircraft for the new carrier? The Harrier took the world by storm and was sold to the U.S. Marines. Now Britain is buying back the latest version from the U.S. Another piece of British technology and jobs given away. The Government must back the UK’s brilliant designers and engineers to rebuild its manufacturing base. E. HOLMES, Tillac, France.

THE £3 billion cost of the new aircraft carrier has been said to be too high. HS2 will cost £70 billion to just save 30 minutes on a journey time. A fraction of this would buy all the aircraft and support ships needed for the new carrier.

EVELYN GREEN, Fareham, Hants.

THIS aircraft carrier will cost us £3 billion and has little use beyond shocking the world with our extravagance. We need thousands of houses to shelter people who have nowhere to sleep but the streets. Our priorities are wrong. CHRISTINE E. MADDISON,

Southampton. ONLY 65ft to spare on either side for the aircraft carrier when entering Portsmouth Harbour (Mail). Big deal! Passing through the locks of the Panama Canal on the 92,000-ton Coral Princess there was 30cm to spare on either side. There was no fanfare as it was all in a day’s work. As for a show of strength, this white elephant aircraft carrier needs an escort wherever she goes.

TED SHEPHERD, Windsor, Berks.