Bungling Boris Johnson used a South Korean-built vessel to trumpet his plan for a revival of Britain’s shipbuilding industry.
The blundering Prime Minister was pictured staring at the naval refuelling tanker RFA Tidespring as he promoted the Government’s updated National Shipbuilding Strategy at Birkenhead, Merseyside.
But the 39,000-tonne Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship’s hull was actually built in Asia.
His trip came amid mounting fears the Government will snub British workers over a contract for a £1.5billion deal to build three RFA Fleet Solid Support vessels to resupply Royal Navy warships at sea.
The Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions’ general secretary Ian Waddell said: “It speaks volumes that the Prime Minister chooses to launch the much-trumpeted shipbuilding strategy in front of a ship that was built in Korea.
“There could not be a clearer signal that this Government could not care less about levelling-up UK shipbuilding communities and supply chains, and would far rather spend UK taxpayers’ money in foreign shipyards.”
Prospect union senior deputy general secretary Sue Ferns said: “Announcing a strategy for shipbuilding in front of a ship that was built in South Korea sadly tells you all you need to know about this Government’s commitment to British shipbuilding jobs.”
GMB general secretary Gary Smith said: "You couldn't make it up. The gap between the Government's words and actions has never been wider.
"The evidence is in front of the Prime Minister's eyes - the Government sent this £500 million contract overseas when jobs were being lost at home, and now ministers are gearing up to do the same again.”
A huge political row erupted in 2012 after the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition awarded the Tide-class, “Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability” contract to Daewoo.
The hulls for all four tankers, costing a total of £500million, were built in South Korea - though Mr Johnson seemed oblivious to that when he gazed longingly at Tidespring on Thursday.
The caption alongside the tweeted image of him staring at the ship said: “The PM visited Cammell-Laird dockyard today which supports military and commercial projects.
“The refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy, with over £4billion of investment, will turbocharge our exports and create new jobs and skills across the UK.”
In a press release issued to mark his trip, Mr Johnson claimed: “Shipbuilding has been in our blood for centuries and I want to ensure it remains at the heart of British industry for generations to come.
“The National Shipbuilding Strategy will transform this important and crucial industry, creating jobs, driving technology development and upskilling the shipbuilders of tomorrow, ensuring we are levelling-up across every dock, port and shipyard in the UK.
“This will ensure the UK is rightly seen as a shipbuilding power across the world.”
Mr Johnson used the taxpayer-funded visit and photo opportunity to highlight the latest update to the Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.
The 80-page document sets out how at least 150 Navy warships and civilian vessels such as Border Force cutters will be ordered over the next three decades.
But buried in the blueprint was the revelation that the Fleet Solid support vessels due to be ordered will be “integrated” in the UK - rather than guaranteeing they would be designed, manufactured and assembled by British staff.
Campaigners fear it will mean hundreds of millions of pounds worth of work for the 40,000-tonne ships being sent abroad.
Mr Waddell added: “Shipyards across the world will be rubbing their hands at a 30-year pipeline of work that our Government will apparently sell off to the lowest bidder instead of committing to the design, build and maintenance of Navy and Fleet Auxiliary ships here at home.
“Building ships abroad and sticking a Royal Ensign on the back doesn’t look like much of a strategy to me - or the tens of thousands of union members in our shipbuilding industry.”
A Number 10 spokesperson said: “The purpose of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy is to ensure future ships are built in the UK.
"That is why more than £4bn of government-wide investment is set for the sector across the next three years.”
They noted that the photo of the Prime Minister was taken from aboard HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 built by BAE systems in the UK.
