Has flagship sunk without trace?
LIKE or loathe the idea of it, we should all be alarmed that the planned £250 million national flagship appears to have gone missing. On the original timeline, the contract to build the vessel — the first national flagship since HMY Britannia was decommissioned in 1997 — was to have been decided in late April. When nothing happened, that date was revised to the formal unveiling of plans, which was to be in May, before the Platinum Jubilee weekend. At that time there was mention of a shortlist of two contenders — Houlder, and Harland & Wolff — in what appeared to be a new departure. The delayed unveiling of plans was then revised to the middle of June. We are now in July. Early on, there was mention of cutting of steel to commence this year. I am not holding my breath.