A 'new Britannia' would boost trade

A SUCCESSOR to the Royal Yacht Britannia could drum up trade among Commonwealth nations as US tariffs shake the world economy, the new vessel's champion says.

- By David Williamson CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

Businessman Ian Maiden, 91, has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in plans for a "national flagship" and has lobbied the King and the Prime Minister while building support among the public.

He argues a flagship could be put to work generating trade long before other much-touted pro-growth projects such as a new runway at Heathrow become reality.

Mr Maiden and his team developed a design in 2021 after then-prime minister Boris Johnson announced plans for a new vessel. But the competition to build the flagship was dropped the next year.

In his letter to the King, Mr Maiden described the process as "long, arduous and horrifyingly expensive" but he has not lost faith in its potential.

He is willing to offer the design free for use by the Commonwealth and is optimistic that private sources of finance could cover the £250million construction cost.