I agree on pay and manpower - it always seems the armed forces have to be reduced to beggary and for large numbers to leave before the Govt of the day (of whatever stripe) very grudgingly coughs up a small amount.
The idea that it's cheaper to keep experienced personnel than spend a fortune trying to recruit replacements seems never to occur to them (or maybe it does....). The report into the loss of the F-35 was full of indications of people stretched to and beyond the limit, desperately cutting and filling to keep things going. 6 months in an SSBN isn't going to improve recruiting either I guess.
In a perfect world the Govt would make the case for a decent financial package to pay people, and to buy AND MAINTAIN a decent set of forces - instead we stretch, and stretch and stretch......... they need to be up front and tell people that they're not going to get the pensions they want, the university places for their kids, lower inheritance taxes or new hospitals everywhere as the country needs defending properly - the primary role of any Govt, anywhere, at any time.
I'm not holding my breath.