From a letter at the time, written by a VSO:
I should mention that some believe we should all close ranks, allocate blame for the engineering governance issues, and try to reverse the decision taken by the AFB and endorsed by Ministers. This is unrealistic, and diverts us away from what we should be doing: ‘Aye’ Aye, Sir; get on with it; lead our people through this challenging transition; and do our best to add value iteratively to the package we have been handed. This will require leadership, vision, determination and understanding. The time for retrospection and garment renting is over; we now need to move forward.
In other words, "Shut up, stop moaning, do as I say and get on with it....??"