A morale booster for the nation

Ok I have googled and done some research. Yes GiLlT57 you are quite right it was John Major who announced in 1994 that Britannia was to be decommissioned as a refit would be too expensive. However, the Conservatives fought the general election of 1997 promising to replace Brittania if reelected which they weren’t. Tony Blair got in and announced Britannia was to be retired, with no replacement, and the yacht subsequently became a tourist attraction. So I wasn’t entirely wrong about Blair was I? Your apology is accepted.

I also learnt that the Overseas Trade Board reckoned Britannia helped raise £3billion for the Treasury between 1991 and 1995. Presumably this is one of the reasons for building another one but this argument has been going on now for several years and it is a massive sum to pay out and arguably now is not the time.

Public morale booster!

Well, I needed a good laugh today.

I think we should pass the hat around and send him what we collect. No buttons, foreign currency, monopoly money, or milk bottle tops accepted. Dig deep ladies!

Apart from being an absurd suggestion from an absurd man, just who does he think will be on this ship? Assuming that by the time it was built, the Queen and Prince Phillip had died, Charles would not be interested, Andrew is unsuitable ( but would probably love the opportunity), the next generation, William would not be interested as he has a young family and his own interests.....so presumably Digby-Jones was seeing himself and other such overpaid, undertalented individuals soaking up tax payers' cash. Mind you, I have just had an idea.....maybe we could put Boris Johnson, Micheal Gove, Dominic Cummings, Priti Patel, Ian Duncan Smith, Jacob Rees-Mogg on the blasted thing and set them off on an everlasting voyage......ah, a girl can but dream.

Just to rub salt into the wound there's a programme on tonight on how the other half live----in Monaco. Watch and seethe

Just how out of touch can somebody get? What an appalling suggestion at such a difficult time for many people.

It's just more proof (if we needed it) that some people are living in a fantasy world and have no idea how difficult it is for many of us right now .

As the owner of a (struggling) SME I would be thrown in jail before I contributed another penny towards anything for this over privileged family .

The real "moral booster" would be for "her maj" to denounce the idea as absolutely ridiculous and throw it out once and for all. Phillip will have to make do with an Amazon voucher and bottle of beer, or a pair of slippers for his birthday like many other great grandads .

I hope this is fake news.

I will watch the programme about Monaco wishing the late Clive James was narrating it. He had a wonderful way of highlighting the ridiculous where excess is concerned.

just who does he think will be on this ship?
What about us?

It could be hired out (cheaply) for jolly parties of Gransnetters. We'll need something to look forward to after all this is over.
If Digby wants to dig deep into his own pockets that might be a good idea.

gillybob I have put our names down.

The food and champagne comes included, it's £1 for a cruise around the UK, I'll sub you.

Monaco, sunny place, shady people. Rich people rarely put their hands in their own pockets, they rely and expect others to do the paying.

Are Harry and Meghan there?

Ducking.

On which cloud in cockroaches land does he live ? Silly man .

Sorry should be cuckoo land ?

Freudian slip, BBbevan?

Merlotgran, I loved Clive James---and most Aussies for their outspoken beliefs. They wrap nothing up

When will Westminster drag itself into the 21st century. We are still a laughing stock over the Mog-Conga last week. Modern business will mostly be done with the likes of Zooming thereby reducing travel time and expenses. The days when an expensive yacht turned up at a port with the RM band playing and everybody being impressed have gone.

Exactly merlotgran ?

Namsnanny Digby Jones worked for 20 years for a firm of solicitors in Birmingham. He was senior partner for 3 years. I don't think that gives him much of a grounding in business, do you?

He was a non executive director of an IT contractor firm which was investigated for its accountancy practices. He commented " there is a limit to what a non-executive can know... They have to rely on what advisers tell them and what the executive team tells them." Not very good for someone who claims to be knowledgeable about business.

The current Chief Executive of the CBI has a degree in economics and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania plus an MBA from INSEAD in France. Not only is she extremely well qualified she has also spent her working life in business at a high level before joining the CBI.

As MaizieD says, the idea has been mooted before - supported by an unknown Tory MP around the time of the referendum. His idea was that it could sail around the world promoting Scotch whisky and English jams "the best in the world"

GillT57 Good idea. Put them all on a boat, send them around the world to sell British products. I don't think they'll make much money.