New Royal Yacht

[BillyStubbsTears]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57293882

Why are we the only developed country in the world that needs to define itself to potential trading partners by floating bling?

[Glyn_Wigley]

We need something for our sailors to do now the Navy's shrunk some more.

[River Don]

I'm not sure that doing things differently is necessarily a bad idea.

Having a floating palace, where you can invite potential trading partners on board to meet the Queen and of course talk business too. It's a difficult opportunity to turn down. Particularly since royalty isn't tainted by politics in the same way as presidents are.

The UK has become good at soft power, and it is this sort of thing that allows us to excercise it. Try to think of it as a national asset rather than a symbol of privelidge.

Edit: I should say I'm not a royalist but whilst ever this remains the way we go about things, then we have to try to make the most of it.

[albie]

I may have the wrong end of the stick here, but I thought this was not a Royal Yacht, nor a defence procurement.

The idea is to smootch business investors.
Basically it is 70 years behind the curve....I don't know how they are going to show value for money from this project, or justify the running cost.

Still, better than giving NHS staff a decent pay settlement...some will think!

[River Don]

The idea is to schmooze business investors and I'm not sure how you can measure value for money.

I once watched a documentary about the old royal yacht and the chief of Rolls Royce was explaining what a very effective business tool it was. I imagine it may be of particular use when flogging weapons and armaments, not very virtuous but I suppose a lot of British jobs depend on it.

[albie]

RD,

All investment proposals used to be subject to Treasury Green Book rules, and had to meet the criteria set out before consideration.

Those rules may have been amended, but the basic principle was to prevent "hail Mary" projects getting unscrutinised approval.

Johnson has form for promoting insane plans with no economic basis......remember the London Garden Bridge, or the Thames airport plan. The rules were there to act as a check on demented use of public funds.

[Hounslowrover]

Agree Albie, living in London we've seen Johnson waste tax payers money on agrandissemt policies when mayor of London.

[Redandwhite]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57293882

Why are we the only developed country in the world that needs to define itself to potential trading partners by floating bling?

We shouldn't think outside the box ?
Do things differently?

Personally I thing its a great idea, and a uniquely British thing .
Will be a huge asset for Britain to exert its global influence. 

Can you imagine German diplomats (who are stuck in the eu) entertaining Indian investors in some identikit drab hotel ?
Then imagine British diplomats entertaining the same investors on the royal yacht on the High seas .

I know which party I'd rather be at

[BillyStubbsTears]

I know which export economy I'd rather have...

[Redandwhite]

I know which export economy I'd rather have...

Which is why we're playing to our strengths, and not playing their game .

[SydneyRover]

Oh dear

[BillyStubbsTears]

Not playing their game of long-term investment in high value engineering and exporting nearly 4 times as much as us every year? Yeah, I'd much prefer us to be courting kleptocrats with a bit of bling.

[Redandwhite]

Not playing their game of long-term investment in high value engineering and exporting nearly 4 times as much as us every year? Yeah, I'd much prefer us to be courting kleptocrats with a bit of bling.

Your not getting my point, and going off on a tangent for some reason , I'm not arguing that Germany has a bigger economy .

The point is that if a royal yacht gives us an edge in a competitive global market place, then its a very good thing .

[SydneyRover]

it has to be a johnson brain fart, watching a history of Henry V111 last night and there he was jonson/henry, rather be out jousting and boozing whilst the privy counsel ran the country until he got fed up with them and had them beheaded.

[BillyStubbsTears]

R&W. I don't think you're getting my point. What we have desperately lacked for decades is a sensible economic strategy that supports long-term investment in our industries, instead of incentivising the bas**rds in the City of London who rip the guts out of companies to make a quick buck then leave them to rot. This  yacht stunt is a sticking plaster over a gaping wound. It might impress a few successful foreign equivalents of Del Boy, and make a few people at home feel grand to be British, but it is not ever going to make a real difference to the structural failings of our system.

[Bentley Bullet]

it has to be a johnson brain fart, watching a history of Henry V111 last night and there he was jonson/henry, rather be out jousting and boozing whilst the privy counsel ran the country until he got fed up with them and had them beheaded.

Pity they didn't have a Kangaroo court, eh Skippy?

[SydneyRover]

bb, nothing to say = insult, wash rinse repeat .............................

[Bentley Bullet]

Don't worry about it Skippy, I shouldn't really use wit on the unarmed.

[SydneyRover]

Don't worry about it Skippy, I shouldn't really use wit on the unarmed.

let me know when you get some and I'll prepare

[Bentley Bullet]

I'll try to simplify it just for you in future.

[SydneyRover]

and you are just the person to do that no doubt

[Bentley Bullet]

Yes, Sydney, I am.

[SydneyRover]

how's the podcast coming along?

[Bentley Bullet]

Very frustrating at the moment. I keep having to break away from something of interest to talk to you

[Redandwhite]

R&W. I don't think you're getting my point. What we have desperately lacked for decades is a sensible economic strategy that supports long-term investment in our industries, instead of incentivising the bas**rds in the City of London who rip the guts out of companies to make a quick buck then leave them to rot. This  yacht stunt is a sticking plaster over a gaping wound. It might impress a few successful foreign equivalents of Del Boy, and make a few people at home feel grand to be British, but it is not ever going to make a real difference to the structural failings of our system.

OK fair enough, I respect your point of view .
I agree with what you say regarding the banker arseholes .
But I still think the new royal yacht will be an asset, and think I'll be proved correct .
Thanks .

[drfchound]

R&W. I don't think you're getting my point. What we have desperately lacked for decades is a sensible economic strategy that supports long-term investment in our industries, instead of incentivising the bas**rds in the City of London who rip the guts out of companies to make a quick buck then leave them to rot. This  yacht stunt is a sticking plaster over a gaping wound. It might impress a few successful foreign equivalents of Del Boy, and make a few people at home feel grand to be British, but it is not ever going to make a real difference to the structural failings of our system.

OK fair enough, I respect your point of view .
I agree with what you say regarding the banker arseholes .
But I still think the new royal yacht will be an asset, and think I'll be proved correct .
Thanks .

R&W, I’m with you on the business about the yacht.
There are too many people wanting to rubbish anything English/British.
The government, the football team etc often get slated for not being as good as Germany, Italy, Spain or even San Marino if it fits the agenda.

However, only hindsight (as is often the case) will prove whether the last statement in your above post or the last sentence in the post by BST will turn out to be correct.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I actually think both points are fair. It doesn't have to be one or the other we should be able to employ both strategies.

1. Use the yacht effectively to court business and investment plus sales to foreign partners who lap that kind of stuff up. Effective and sensible.

2. Improve exports by actually making something worth exporting and taking the gamble to invest in that aswell as empowering companies to invest.  That was the one decent strategy in the budget actually so the government is starting to do it but not strongly enough.  Right now we should be looking at large tax breaks for renewable energy technology, electric vehicle production and big grants for the r&d of said things.

[Glyn_Wigley]

It's only an asset if it generates more new income than it costs to run.

[drfchound]

It's only an asset if it generates more new income than it costs to run.

Agreed and we won’t know for a few years, with hindsight I guess.
Speculate to accumulate.

[SydneyRover]

It's only an asset if it generates more new income than it costs to run.

Agreed and we won’t know for a few years, with hindsight I guess.
Speculate to accumulate.

yeah, we should view as a future floating garden bridge