Plans for new ‘flagship’ axed in cash squeeze
A £250million scheme to create a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia has been scrapped in response to a Whitehall spending squeeze and Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
The national flagship plan was sunk by Rishi Sunak’s administration as funding is prioritised on measures designed to bolster protection against Russia.
The plan was championed by Boris Johnson when he was Prime Minister, but was dismissed as a “vanity project” by critics.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told MPs he was prioritising the procurement of the multi-role ocean surveillance (MROS) ship instead of the flagship.
“In the face of the Russian illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and (Vladimir) Putin’s reckless disregard of international arrangements designed to keep world order, it is right that we prioritise delivering capabilities which safeguard our national infrastructure,” he said.
That meant he had “also directed the termination of the national flagship competition with immediate effect to bring forward the first MROSS ship in its place”.
Shadow defence secretary John Healey welcomed the news that the “previous Prime Minister’s vanity project” has been scrapped.