After Brexit
New flagship is to advertise for Great Britain
– The flag of Great Britain is blowing in the wind. Photo: Monika Skolimowska / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa © dpa-infocom GmbH
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Trade fairs, summits and diplomatic talks are to take place on the successor ship to the royal yacht “Britannia”. Cost point: around 200 million pounds (233 million euros).
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As a visible sign of Brexit, a new flagship will represent the United Kingdom on the oceans in the future. The ship succeeds the royal yacht “Britannia”, which was decommissioned in 1997 and has since been moored as a museum in Scotland.
Construction of the new ship is scheduled to begin in 2022. It will be used for trade fairs, summits and diplomatic talks, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced. A name has not yet been chosen.
The ship will “reflect Britain’s burgeoning status as a large, independent maritime trading nation,” said Johnson. It is “a clear and strong symbol of our commitment to be an active player on the world stage”. The cost will be around 200 million pounds (233 million euros), the ship will be in operation for around 30 years. Conservative MPs are pushing for the building to be named after Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s recently deceased husband.
Johnson has repeatedly emphasized that after Brexit, Great Britain could now again decide on its own trade policy. In addition, the government is arming the military and wants to become the leading naval power after the United States. However, important trade talks are currently stalling, for example with the USA, but also with Norway and Australia.
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