Royal yacht: Internet floats better ways to spend £250m

Boris Johnson has faced derision after it emerged his flagship Royal Yacht Britannia project could cost £250m – at least £50m more than previously anticipated. 

Angry Twitter users, and even one of his own MPs, fumed after defence secretary Ben Wallace revealed the new price tag for what has become known as Johnson’s “vanity” project.

Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor, said the colossal sum would “cover the annual salary of – literally – 10,000 NHS nurses”.

The cost of this prime ministerial vanity project would cover the annual salary of – literally – 10,000 NHS nurses.https://t.co/IVURa7b2XW

— Dr Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) July 28, 2021

David Schneider, comedian, actor and government-troll-in-chief, reminded the PM of his disastrous decision to resist Marcus Rashford’s free school meals push. “Fun fact,” he said. “Boris Johnson’s nice new boat will now cost £250m or over ten times more than the free school meals he refused to give to hungry kids.”

Fun fact.
Boris Johnson’s nice new boat will now cost £250m or over ten times more than the free school meals he refused to give to hungry kids. https://t.co/bnct9Lgiu7

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 28, 2021

Bywire News exposed the hypocrisy of the government’s spending choices. “So Boris Johnson’s Royal Yacht will cost up to £250m – which is supposedly perfectly affordable. But completely eradicating rough sleeping would cost an extra £82m a year – and apparently we can’t find the money for it. Says everything you need to know about this government,” they said.

So Boris Johnson’s Royal Yacht will cost up to £250m – which is supposedly perfectly affordable.

But completely eradicating rough sleeping would cost an extra £82m a year – and apparently we can’t find the money for it.

Says everything you need to know about this government.

— Bywire News (@bywirenews) July 29, 2021

This Twitter user also chose to highlight Boris Johnson’s priorities, listing what the UK says it can’t afford, including feeding poor children and decent public sector pay, and what it can.

What the UK can't afford:

To feed poor kids
Asylum for interpreters whose lives have been endangered by working for the British
Decent pay for public sector workers
Adequate funding for any services
Promised levels of overseas aid

What the UK can afford:

A £250m royal yacht

— Oonagh (@Okeating) July 29, 2021

And Dan White, a carer, had some moving words that brought home the effects of government policy. “All our support has been eroded by cuts,” he said. “I get £67 a week carers allowance for round the clock care. I’ve just bought another washing machine on the credit card.”

I’m a carer.
All our support has been eroded by cuts.
I get £67 a week carers allowance for round the clock care.
I’ve just bought another washing machine on the credit card. https://t.co/CehxpFVKdH

— Dan White : Disability Campaigner & Author ♿️ (@Danwhite1972) July 28, 2021

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, had some typically colourful remarks, accusing Johnson of “spaffing money up the wall”.

I believe this is what @BorisJohnson meant when he talked about "spaffing money up the wall".https://t.co/MJ9kM0U8El

— Angela Rayner 🌹 (@AngelaRayner) July 29, 2021

And Johnny Mercer, who resigned as defence minister in protest at the government’s approach to veterans in Northern Ireland, also put the boot in.

Boris Johnson: Britannia replacement will pay for itself ‘many, many times over’

Erm.. as would funding the Office for Veterans Affairs. 🦾 https://t.co/DI9E2NDK1N

— Rt Hon Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) July 28, 2021

The new estimate for the yacht emerged at a so-called engagement day to discuss the new flagship yacht.Defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “Subject to working through bids, competition and technology, I aim to commission the ship for between £200m and £250m on a firm price.

“The competition will run until the end of October. I hope to announce the winners in December.”

Labour announced it would scrap the plans if it came into power. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, called for the money to be spent on areas such as tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.  

In May, analysis by The Big Issue found that at a previously estimated cost of £200m, the yacht budget could fund: 

• A full term of free school meals for every child who needs them
• 6,000 new nurses (or 5,700 with a proper pay rise)
• A reversal of UK’s drastic foreign aid cuts
• £20 per week Universal Credit increase for a year for nearly 200,000 families
• And stop more than 140,000 people falling into homelessness