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| UK drops plans for £250m national flagship yacht | UK drops plans for £250m national flagship yacht |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The government released an artist's impression of the vessel last year | The government released an artist's impression of the vessel last year |
| Plans for a national flagship yacht to promote the UK abroad have been shelved, the defence secretary has announced. | |
| Ben Wallace told MPs a competition to build the vessel, estimated to cost up to £250m, had been terminated. | Ben Wallace told MPs a competition to build the vessel, estimated to cost up to £250m, had been terminated. |
| The ship was commissioned by former PM Boris Johnson last year to host trade fairs and diplomatic events. | |
| No 10 said it was right to "prioritise" spending "at a time when difficult spending decisions need to be made". | |
| The move comes as the government searches for spending cuts ahead of an autumn statement on 17 November, also likely to include tax rises. | |
| Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey said he welcomed the news "the previous prime minister's vanity project has been scrapped". | |
| Price tag for new flagship yacht could hit £250m | |
| Ministry of Defence to pay for 'national yacht' | |
| 'Just me and the Queen' - Britannia memories | |
| The vessel, which was never given a name, would have succeeded the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was retired in 1997 after 44 years in service. | The vessel, which was never given a name, would have succeeded the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was retired in 1997 after 44 years in service. |
| It was originally meant to cost £150m when first announced, but Mr Wallace last year put the price at between £200m and £250m. | It was originally meant to cost £150m when first announced, but Mr Wallace last year put the price at between £200m and £250m. |
| The government had said it wanted the ship to be built in the UK, and enter service in 2024 or 2025. | |
| Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Wallace said the government was "accelerating" the development of research and surveillance ships. | |
| He added that, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it was "right that we prioritise delivering capabilities that safeguard our national infrastructure". | |
| A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters: "With Russia's ongoing illegal war, it is right that we prioritise our capabilities." | |
| Mr Sunak "thinks it is right to prioritise at a time when difficult spending decisions need to be made," the spokesman added. |