No way to run a Navy

Dear Editor People working in construction know that one off the worst things that can happen when something is being built is for the client to change their mind. This is not only inconvenient for the builders messing up their work programme but usually leads to significant increase in costs.

The same is true for shipbuilding. Way back in the 1950s , Denny’s of Dumbarton were building a frigate for the Royal Navy which was so mucked about with alterations that when it came to be launched it developed a distinct list. The shipping and shipbuilding world wide is quite a small community so within 24 hours my uncle, who worked for Canadian Pacific in Montreal, was on the phone to my father poking fun at Denny’s shipbuilding abilities.

Most people are aware that the previous incompetent Labour government managed to have an aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth II, built that could not actually carry any aircraft so it fell to the incoming Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition administration to reverse the previous modification abandoning the catapult for launching aircraft and have one installed.

This is not the only example of incompetence on the part of the previous Labour government. I understand that the gangways on the Queen Elizabeth II have been found to be too narrow to allow anyone to pass a marine wearing full battle equipment so the gangways on her sister ship, the Prince of Wales, currently being assembled at Roysyth are being widened. Not only that but the Queen Elizabeth II is now scheduled to go into Devonport for modifications as soon as Prince of Wales is commissioned.

What a way to run a navy. I suspect that many countries around the world are laughing their heads off at the UK and our pretentions. Harry Valentine Hairmyres