Just to put in my 2 bobs worth...
I'm all for the carriers but I also find myself slightly warming to Jacko's argument against them albeit for different reasons.
If we really are going to get Dave B then would we not be better with an LHD design rather than a carrier? CVF seems to serve one purpose only though I think with a little imagination they could do more - hospital ship springs to mind. An LHD would surle be a more flexible asset with respect to deployment of air and land assets.
As for the "who should own the FJ assets p1ssing contest" Everyone's missed the point
PEOPLE MATTER!
If the light blue got hold of the FJ's they'd never see any time on a carrier. The RN would have no control over it, I suspect it would nearly always be deployed elsewhere. And ultimately the RAF would always give a No to any request. Why? - simple! If you ask RAF personell to go to sea for months on end then your soon going to have a retention problem, Start filling those gaps with other personell then you will have a recruitment problem. Every crab I have ever met (and there have been many) have said no to the sea option. I think the status quo (jointery) is still the best solution.
BTW I have just looked at the rn website. Nearly one in ten personell in the RN are in the FAA!