AP75,
I can go with you to some degree, but think back to the the much PROMISED Euro referendum ...
Everyone knows that the VAST majority want it. There have been petitions, protests and letters. And yet we still have yet to see it, even tho we were told it would be in this governmental term.
All public opinions can all be ignored or rubbished - the spread was not representative etc etc. They'll ask emotive questions when the time is right like,
"Would you rather spend £30m over the next 5 yrs on your local hospital or on maintaining the Red Arrows?"
or
"Disbanding the Red Arrows will save £30m over the next 5 yrs which will equip all our soldiers in Iraq with body armour. Would you prefer body armour for our troops or the Red Arrows?"
The right outcome from a pre-determined review will always be followed. And if by some fluke, the outcome isn't desired, they'll even rubbish their own inquiry (as they did recently). And should they not go so far as trashing it, they'll "interpret" it differently.
Should they decide to keep the Reds, THEY will announce it as thought they've saved a dodo (sorry about the analogy) from extinction. "Aren't we the saviours?"
My point is that they'll do what they want. We are not yet at the US stage of cash driven politics (I said, "yet") and so the comparison is a little premature.
sincerely,
Disillusioned.