Displaying items by tag: PM Johnson
In the UK a new national flagship, the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, will promote British trade and industry around the world, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The newbuild vessel would be used to host trade fairs, ministerial summits and diplomatic talks as the UK seeks to build links and boost exports following Brexit.
It would be the first national flagship since Britannia, which was decommissioned in 1997, but the new vessel would be a ship rather than a luxury yacht.
A name for the vessel has not been announced, but Johnson has faced pressure from campaigners and Tory MPs to name it after the Duke of Edinburgh, who played a role in designing Britannia.
The government intends to build the ship in a UK shipyard, at a reported cost of up to £200m. (See story of proposed built in Belfast ship).
Johnson said: “This new national flagship will be the first vessel of its kind in the world, reflecting the UK’s burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation.”
More from The Guardian here.
UK Prime Minister Is Prepared to Invoke Article 16 to Ensure No Barrier Down the Irish Sea
The British prime minister Boris Johnson has said he is prepared to invoke Article 16 of the Northern Irish protocol to ensure there is no barrier down the Irish Sea.
As The Irish Times writes, Mr Johnson told the House of Commons he will “do everything we need to do whether legislatively or indeed by invoking Article 16 of the Protocol to ensure that there is no barrier down the Irish Sea”.
DUP MP Ian Paisley, who represents North Antrim, claimed people in Northern Ireland were being made to “feel like foreigners in our own country” by post-Brexit rules.
Addressing Mr Johnson, he said: “Prime Minister, you say that your commitment to Northern Ireland is unshakeable. But I speak for all of my constituents today when I tell you that the Protocol has betrayed us and has made us feel like foreigners in our country. Click to continue story.
As according to BBC News, the issue of port staff returning to work depends on conclusions by police, click here for more.
The situation follows on Monday, when threats made to port customs border post staff led to personnel stood down from duties due to concerns for their safety and security.
In the meantime despite the incidents, goods continue to flow through both Belfast Harbour and Larne as the BBC also reports.
Asides these ports, only Warrenpoint Port (story on volumes) as Afloat reported today, has ro-ro facilities in the North with the other remaining ports represented by London-Derry (Foyleport) and Coleraine.
