While it is pretty obvious the carrier delay is being done to save money, or at least spread out spending, I think a two-year delay is probably better in terms of Dave-B deliveries. Unless LockMart has changed its production schedule in the last few months, the timescale for the delivery into UK service, if they buy 138, is 2014-2029. The three test models are due to be delivered in 2011-2012. Even if the UK had an earlier IOC of 2014 as LockMart offered according to the article, there would hardly be enough Daves in service by the time the carriers had originally been due to enter service, and there would be a handful of converted pilots fresh from training in the States (hence why the US has earlier IOCs mostly for training squadrons that will train almost every nation buying them). Besides, it was originally proposed that the Harrier would go on until 2018 and that would initially be deployed on the CVFs as there wouldn't be enough JSFs in UK service.
Unless they scrap the Harrier earlier, then there would be a problem mostly as pilots would have nothing to fly for several years. What would they do with them all?