If I dare to chip in my tupennyworth on this emotive topic.
I used to work as a consultant on government projects.
I think Maggie was a main driver to outsourcing to consultants.
One reason I was uncomfortable doing this work. Even consultant engineers are under pressure to not find a solution, but to seek the best possible solution for the job. This means that doing/completing the job is secondary to extending the contract to find perfection.
All the government contracts I was involved with ended up costing double the original cost. Why?
Because if the job needed a million quid (with all contractors tenders coming within 10% either way), a pencil pusher would go through the fine detail and whittle away needed functionality. End result would be a contract for half a million. But as the contract progressed the needed functionality had to be re-inserted. And so the job ended up costing according to the original bid. But twice the amount the contract was let for.
Different topic now.
I wholeheartedly agree that it is very sad that the Nimrod has gone, same for the new Navy ships. But can the taxpayers still afford them?
Why should the UK spend billions re-inventing the wheel. If the US has a functioning AWACS that is cheaper to buy, than develop out own, then buy it.
As a kid I remember that gov't would only buy British. British cop cars and ambulance. British military vehicles including trucks. British cars for government officers, PM, etc. Those days have long gone.
We have European made truck in the army. The Eurofighter, and helicopter. Police drive BMWs (who won the war?).
Too much money has been wasted on jingoism. The UK economy is in a poor state of health. Gestures of national pride and nationalism are for when a country is on the up, not on its uppers.
Sorry if this offends, but tax and government spending is an issue if there are fewer people able to pay higher taxes.
One of the reasons we British had to give up the empire is that we could not longer afford to run it. Britain can perhaps no longer afford to be the world's policeman, plodding the beat with our US buddies. We have been punching above our weight for too long and our body (the economy and the taxpayer) can no longer afford it.
I could go on about the likelihood of being invaded by a European neighbour. Unlikely, the threats to our security today are different, and perhaps a military response is not the solution. We live in a very different world order. The biggest threats to our economy are not related to owning overseas territories that need to be defended. They are related to global trade.
My 2 cents.