Give Queen a new royal yacht for diamond jubilee, says Micha

[Supreme_Warlord]

Give Queen a new royal yacht for diamond jubilee, says Michael Gove

Michael Gove has brushed aside Britain's economic problems to propose the public donate a new royal yacht to the Queen as a mark of respect during this year's diamond jubilee celebrations, according to a confidential letter to fellow ministers.

In the letter, which has been sent to Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary and minister overseeing the celebrations, and to the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, Gove at one point comes close to suggesting that Britain's dire economic climate means that a large-scale celebration is required to lift the country's spirits.

The education secretary writes: "In spite, and perhaps because of the austere times, the celebration should go beyond those of previous jubilees and mark the greater achievement that the diamond anniversary represents."

The Liberal Democrats privately expressed surprise at the proposal, which is likely to cost at least £60m, at a time of national austerity.

Meanwhile Tom Watson, the Labour party vice-chairman, said: "When school budgets are being slashed, parents will be wondering how Gove came even to suggest this idea."

Gove, an enthusiastic monarchist, writes in the letter: "I feel strongly that the diamond jubilee gives us a tremendous opportunity to recognise in a very fitting way the Queen's highly significant contribution to the life of the nation and the Commonwealth."

Commenting on draft celebration proposals prepared by Hunt, Gove expresses his reservations at a lack of ambition, saying: "I feel strongly more should be done to achieve a longer lasting legacy. Events such as proms and the party at the palace organised for the diamond jubilee, and street parties, although excellent, are transient. It would be appropriate to do something that will mark the significance of this occasion with fitting ceremony.

"My suggestion would be a gift from the nation to her majesty; thinking about David Willetts's excellent suggestion of a royal yacht, and something tangible to commemorate this momentous occasion." He adds: "The year ahead provides an enormous opportunity to showcase the very best of Britain."

Hinting at cabinet tensions over the way in which the culture department is focusing so heavily on the Olympics in the year of the jubilee, Gove says: "The diamond jubilee must not be overshadowed by the Olympic Games, but form an integral part of this great year for our country."

Some of Gove's extravagant language reveals the difficulties created for politicians by the coincidence of the jubilee and the Olympics, alongside forecasts that the UK economy will slip back into recession this year and see a further severe squeeze on living standards. Labour will be watching for any sign the national celebrations are used by the government to distract from the state of the economy.

Gove ends his letter by suggesting that if insufficient taxpayer funds are available a private donation could be sought, before making a naked departmental bid for every schoolchild or school to be given a gift as a permanent reminder of the event. Gove's office confirmed the authenticity of the letter but refused to comment.

The royal yacht Britannia was decommissioned by the Labour government in December 1997 and became a visitor attraction in Edinburgh. It was last seen listing after a leak during repairs over the New Year holiday.

Various efforts have been made to propose a new royal yacht, but have been rejected on the grounds of cost, estimated in 1997 at £60m. However, during the June celebrations a luxury cruiser boat, the Spirit of Chartwell, which is already being dressed up as a royal barge, will carry the Queen along the Thames as part of a pageant.

I have to question, given the state of both the British and European economies, just what planet this idiot lives on?

Not sure if Gove is a millionaire but only from a cabinet of sycophantic millionaires can come such ridiculous suggestions.

[Dartzap]

As the article says - Britannia was fobbed off on Leith due to the costs involved - and that was in the good times, why on earth he thinks it would be a good idea now is beyond strange.

[Juubi Karakuchi]

I'm a monarchist myself, and I think this is a bad idea. Then again, I sincerely doubt the Queen would accept (assuming this proposal gets that far). The only arguments I can make in favour are job creation (if constructed in a British shipyard) and environmental (an alternative to chartered flights).

To put it in perspective though, compared to a budget deficit of over £170 billion a £60 million yacht is a drop in the ocean.

[Spoonist]

I always find it strange that gifts "from the people" should not come from the actual people through fundraising. It has historical precedents as well.
That way you can see how much you can raise volunteerly.

[Eternal_Freedom]

If you want to pay for it "from the people" take some of the income from the Royal Parks. All that goes to the treasury and is o the order of hundreds of millions annually, so £60 million would be entirely feasible.

[OneEyedTeddyMcGrew]

If only that was the worse thing that Michael Gove has said and/or done. I'm sure for £60 million we could gift the people of Britain with an Education Minister that's actually been in a classroom at least once in his in his entire miserable life.

[Thanas]

I am all for giving more money to the greatest yacht producers in Europe (Germans).

[Teebs]

Cameron pretty quickly released a statement saying it wasn't happening.

Personally I think this was Gove playing at internal party maneuvering. He knew it would never happen, but the rightwing of the Tory party is somewhat up for grabs at the moment, so if he plays the right moves he could end up being the right's candidate for after Cameron. While something like this goes down like a lead balloon with the general public, the rightwing of the party probably think it's a spiffing idea.

[Siege]

What kind of yacht were they even thinking of that it'd have to cost £60 million? The Dutch royals also have a pricey yacht that, if you'd want to buy it new, would cost something on the order of €500,000... Granted theirs is a relatively small antique from '57 that still costs oodles of cash in maintenance each year, but even if the Brits wanted a brand spankin' new yacht - austerity or no - £60 million seems a pretty obscene sum whichever way you cut it.

[Eternal_Freedom]

What kind of yacht were they even thinking of that it'd have to cost £60 million? The Dutch royals also have a pricey yacht that, if you'd want to buy it new, would cost something on the order of €500,000... Granted theirs is a relatively small antique from '57 that still costs oodles of cash in maintenance each year, but even if the Brits wanted a brand spankin' new yacht - austerity or no - £60 million seems a pretty obscene sum whichever way you cut it.

AFAIK the £60 million estimate was made by Labour in 1997 when they scrapped Britannia. I somehow doubt that is the one-off cost, it is most probably either someone digging up that inflated estimate from 15 years ago to make the Tories look bad, OR it is meant to be a "£60 million over the lifetime of the yachet or similar.

[Simon_Jester]

The British also have a habit, I think, of buying really top-flight yachts for the royal family. I think it has something to do with their naval tradition- Britannia rules the waves, Elizabeth rules Britannia, ergo Elizabeth has to rule the waves in style, by God!

[ComradeClaus]

I am all for giving more money to the greatest yacht producers in Europe (Germans).

Nah, they'll do it the Pan-European way. (as always)

The keel in france, the engines in UK, the bridge in , the bilge in germany (the Trident SLBMs in USA)

And it'll be 20 years behind schedule and hundreds of millions of euros over budget... (as always)

And the german taxpayer will pay for about 80% of it. because they're the one's who always bail their fellow EU buddies out

Gott bless the Koenigin of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha!

[Sriad]

AFAIK the £60 million estimate was made by Labour in 1997 when they scrapped Britannia. I somehow doubt that is the one-off cost, it is most probably either someone digging up that inflated estimate from 15 years ago to make the Tories look bad, OR it is meant to be a "£60 million over the lifetime of the yachet or similar.

Oh goodness me no.

Luxury yachts usually have luxury furnishings and are custom-made... they're basically mansions that float. It's tragically easy to get the price into the tens of millions; the really REALLY ostentatious multi-hundred footers have price tags in the high hundreds of millions.

[Dartzap]

Having been on the Britannia, I wouldn't actually call it overly pretentious (or in-fact comfortable) it was just very big with fair sized galleys. Well suited for midgets, though.