Boaty McBoatface may not be name of new polar research vessel

When bureaucrats won't accept the outcome of a vote on a trivial matter, is it any wonder that people no longer feel motivated to participate in more serious political issues? What this comes down to is that the minister and his deputies don't want to deal with the momentary political embarrassment of officially launching a boat with a silly name, so ministerial ego requires snubbing thousands of people who voted in good faith, notwithstanding the somewhat childish humor on display.

I actually think it's a good name; Thomas the Tank engine has been a rather successful global cultural export for Britain, and Boaty McBoatface could have done the same for British scientific endeavor. After all, Charles Darwin made many of his intellectual breakthroughs while sailing around the world on a ship named after someone's favorite breed of dog (HMS Beagle). If a ship with a silly name was good enough for King George IV it's good enough for today.

I like their idea of going with a different name, but making a children's education book with Boaty McBoatface. Not bad.