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The government sunk almost £2.5m into commissioning a new royal yacht before scuppering the project, Sky News can reveal.
Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request found the Ministry of Defence splashed £2,476,000 on the vessel, a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Announced in May 2021 by Boris Johnson and set to be named after the Duke of Edinburgh, the plans were cut adrift last month.
It was paid for by the Ministry of Defence.
John Healey, Labour’s shadow defence secretary, said the money was “blown” on a “Tory vanity project”.
A breakdown of the spending obtained by Sky News shows that £648,000 was spent on crown servant and military staff costs.
Some £348,000 was spent on workforce replacement costs.
Around £40,000 was spent on operating and admin costs, and £809,000 was spent on private sector support.
The government racked up £476,000 in consultancy fees, and £110,000 in branding and digital media costs.
It is not unusual for unrealised projects to cost a lot of money – the garden bridge commissioned by Mr Johnson when he was London mayor cost the taxpayer tens of millions before it too was scrapped.
An MoD spokesperson said: “The initial phase of the National Flagship programme delivered significant value to the maritime industry that will be fundamental to the future success of the British shipbuilding pipeline.
“There are multiple costs involved in commencing a credible, rapid commercial competition, including internal and external staff costs, consultancy spend and private sector support.
“However, as threats continue to evolve it is right that we prioritise delivering capabilities which safeguard national infrastructure.”
Mr Healey said: “The Conservatives have blown millions on a Tory vanity project at a time when threats are…
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