.......pity we don't have the same industrial backing.
The RAF does have industrial backing.
The RAF are pushing for F35B (the RN would probably be happier with F35C or even the F18F and traps/cats on the CVFs) and the workshare for British industry is higher in the F35B than the F35C.
If the F136 engine ends up being dropped then the only workshare RR have left in the F35 project would be on the B-model.
Then lets not forget about BAe Systems. They have an interest in the whole lot, B-model, C-model and the big grey boaty things too, they'll want to keep all of them on order.
The reason the RN's industrial backing is so evident at the mo is that the question of "do we really need the CVFs" is the main one being asked right now. If people started questioning whether the country needed the F35B with the same gusto being used over the CVFs I'm sure you'd see BAe and also RR equally defensive over the project.