diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/application.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/application.scss
index b7050d226..544da17cd 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/application.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/application.scss
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // The main application stylesheet
 
-$govuk-use-legacy-palette: true;
 $govuk-typography-use-rem: false;
 
 // Components from govuk_publishing_components gem
@@ -47,3 +46,17 @@ $govuk-typography-use-rem: false;
 @import 'views/answer';
 @import 'views/help-page';
 @import "views/guide";
+
+// TODO: This style overrides one coming from govuk-template
+// which turns the focused text colour blue instead of the expected black
+// on all components with its global 'a:link:focus' declaration. This
+// code should be removed when govuk-template is no longer used.
+
+a[class^="gem-c-"],
+*[class^="gem-c-"] a
+ {
+  &:focus {
+    color: $govuk-focus-text-colour !important;
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_back-to-top.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_back-to-top.scss
index baf181e0b..0169d4475 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_back-to-top.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_back-to-top.scss
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
   margin-left: govuk-spacing(3);
   margin-right: govuk-spacing(3);
 
+  &:focus {
+    @include govuk-template-link-focus-override;
+  }
+
 }
 
 .app-c-back-to-top__icon {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_download-link.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_download-link.scss
index fb628ac28..8d5a3ae54 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_download-link.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/components/_download-link.scss
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   margin-bottom: govuk-spacing(3);
 
   &:focus {
-    @include govuk-focused-text;
+    @include govuk-template-link-focus-override;
   }
 
   @include govuk-media-query($from: tablet) {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/mixins/_white-links.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/mixins/_white-links.scss
index e65590e69..202aba360 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/mixins/_white-links.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/mixins/_white-links.scss
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
     text-decoration: underline;
   }
 
+  a:focus {
+    @include govuk-template-link-focus-override;
+  }
+
   a:active {
     color: $govuk-link-active-colour;
   }
diff --git a/app/helpers/gone_helper.rb b/app/helpers/gone_helper.rb
index e51eb9069..529de7c05 100644
--- a/app/helpers/gone_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/gone_helper.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module GoneHelper
   def alternative_path_link(request, alternative_path)
     alternative_url = File.join(request.protocol, request.host, alternative_path)
-    link_to(alternative_url, alternative_path)
+    link_to(alternative_url, alternative_path, class: "govuk-link")
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/content_items/unpublishing.html.erb b/app/views/content_items/unpublishing.html.erb
index 375841433..d93b7862c 100644
--- a/app/views/content_items/unpublishing.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/content_items/unpublishing.html.erb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
     <% if @content_item.alternative_url.present? %>
       <p class="alternative">
-        Visit: <%= link_to(@content_item.alternative_url, @content_item.alternative_url) %>
+        Visit: <%= link_to(@content_item.alternative_url, @content_item.alternative_url, class: "govuk-link") %>
       </p>
     <% end %>
   </div>
diff --git a/test/helpers/gone_helper_test.rb b/test/helpers/gone_helper_test.rb
index bb429fe01..6ef71af57 100644
--- a/test/helpers/gone_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/helpers/gone_helper_test.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 class GoneHelperTest < ActionView::TestCase
   test "it renders a link to the full url" do
     request = stub(protocol: "http://", host: "www.dev.gov.uk")
-    expected_html = link_to("http://www.dev.gov.uk/government/example", "/government/example")
+    expected_html = link_to("http://www.dev.gov.uk/government/example", "/government/example", class: "govuk-link")
     assert_equal(expected_html, alternative_path_link(request, "/government/example"))
   end
 end