Ok, Myth-busting time again!
The UK can easily afford both carriers even in these straightened times; the costs have been poorly explained to and understood by the general public and the press in particular. The cost of the CVF programme isn't just about two ships; it also includes the cost or restructuring the ENTIRE UK warshipbuilding industry and the cost of reconstructing Rosyth Dockyard to provide suitable construction facilities for the carriers, as they did not exist anywhere else in the UK... oh that's right, better facilities already existed in Belfast at Harland and Wolfe's yard (including a larger drydock and TWO Goliath cranes, each bigger than the new one at Rosyth). So there's one good example of Political interference driving up the costs unnecessarilly. Remember, no one in Belfast votes Tory or Labour, but in Scotland...
If you want to talk eye watering wastes of defence spending, CVF is so far down the list I'm surprised anyone mentions it. Take Typhoon... £20 BILLION+ for 232 aircraft, only we are only going to keep 107 or so, but we still have to pay for all the others. All that for a plane designed to defend the UK from marauding Soviet Air Force long range bombers... yeah, I remember them from when I was a teenager. The Army has an ongoing project/money pit called FRES (Future Rapid Effects System... no me either). Basically replacement transport for the troops, so APCs and the like. None of the vehicles planned would have any resistance to IEDs or mines, but the 'interim' vehicles aquired for Iraq and Afganistan are, so the requirement has been filled at much lower cost and with more suitable vehicles. FRES is still 'on the cards', even though it is hard to justify anymore. The cost? £18 BILLION. That's the price of at least 8 CVFs (not including Rosyth or the UK shipbuilding industry of course)
And we just gave something like £10 Billion to Greece which we'll never see again (I do recall an old saying about not throwing good money after bad...). I could go on, but suffice to say the CVF project at £6 Billion give or take is 'Loose change' by government standards.
Our problem is our politicians are far below the required standard, whatever their political colour, and most should not be allowed out without parental supervision! They haven't a clue when it comes to Defence and most just regard it as a cash cow to be squeezed whenever their own pet projects need a boost in funding.
