Although the basic airframe was well on the way to meeting requirements and the engines were getting there, it was a recipe for disaster from the outset.
Pie in the sky operational requirements, (which amazingly, it was likely to meet), Vickers being lead contractors on a basically English Electric design, when EE were the only company with supersonic experience, Olympus engines when EE wanted Conways - again RR had supersonic experience, Bristol didn't - and many decisions being taken by massive unwieldy government committees instead of just one or two people.
Stanley Hooker remarked on one such committee meeting, where dozens of people turned up. The chairman adjourned the meeting until the afternoon and said only people who actually needed to be there should attend.
When they re-convened, even more people were there...