Commemorative stamps, the return of the Spitfire, and a festival of Brexit Britain – now Brexiteers want to add a new Royal Yacht Britannia to their list of demands.
Tory Brexiteers have long-dreamed of Britannia returning to ‘rule the waves’, and having seen trade secretary Liam Fox hold a series of events on board HMS Queen Elizabeth in New York they believe he has ‘effectively made the case’ for its return.
According to campaigners in the Telegraph ‘evidence is gathering to support the case for building a single-purpose, high profile ship to be made available permanently for such occasions.’
The total cost for a new yacht would be approximately £120 million – a figure Theresa May is also proposing to spend for her ‘festival of Brexit Britain’.
MORE: Fox: ‘Don’t blame me if there isn’t a deal’
A letter sent by 50 Tory MPs to ministers has set out their demands.
It said: ‘As we leave the European Union, there has never been a better time to consider how Britain projects herself on the world stage.
‘We believe that now is the time to commission a new Royal Yacht Britannia as a new symbol of global Britain, designed and built domestically to showcase the best of UK shipbuilding and industry, and as a platform for promoting trade.’
MORE: BREX FACTOR: Will Fox’s Spitfire trade plan really fly?
Last month the disgraced former defence secretary Fox announced he intended to tour the world in a restored Spitfire, scheduled to start next May, as part of his ‘Exporting Is GREAT’ campaign.
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