NORTH Wiltshire’s MP has backed a campaign calling for a new royal yacht.

James Gray is supporting the campaign, ‘Bring Back Britannia’, which hopes to launch a new royal yacht to project the UK’s unique soft power and influence around the globe in the wake of the UK leaving the European Union.

The previous Royal Yacht, HMY Britannia, was decommissioned in 1997 after more than 40 years in service.

Mr Gray said: “Now is the time to consider how post-Brexit Britain projects herself on the world stage.”

“The view of many people around the country is that the Government should commission a new Royal Yacht Britannia. It would be designed and built in the UK to showcase post-Brexit Britain and bring trade to our shores.”

“That’s why I am pleased to support this campaign and urge the Government to ‘Bring Back Britannia’.”

HMY Britannia conducted 968 official visits and clocked up more than a million miles at sea.

On her last deployment to the Far East, commercial trade deals worth some £2.75 billion were signed on board.

Paid for by a new lottery along with other complementary sources of funding, it is claimed there will be no call upon departmental budgets to pay for the vessel which is estimated to cost around £120m.