ISTR that when T45s 7 and 8 were cancelled in 2008, it was also announced that the then FSC programme (T23 replacement) would be accelerated. The first of those will achieve IOC just 20 years later. Heartening to see how we can drive things through when needed...
As regards the Autumn Statement, I've seen suggestions that there's been a certain amount of chicanery with the defence budget, including bringing forward future spend as a way of finessing a lack of any real increase in the short term. The problem there (IF that's what they've agreed) is that it's a bit like putting spending on the credit card: down the track there will need to be a reckoning, either a bigger uptick in spending or a more painful downward correction. Guess we'll know soon enough.