Tucumseh
You remind me of the many civil servants I had to deal with. You know everything about process and very little about the product. Have you ever been in or near a Nimrod or are your comments based solely on your knowledge of the regulations and reports. I have no doubt what you say is true and that in some cases decisions further up the chain might disagree with yours, that’s what happens. Whether safety should be treated like this another question and probably one of degrees.
I have retired now and do not know why Dave has cancelled the MRA4, but as the support costs, I believe, are quoted at £200m a year and the project has hemorrhaged money over the years, I am therefore quite sure its reasoning is fiscal. I also know enough of the people on this site to know, they know, what they are talking about when it comes to an airworthiness issue. (Awful grammar but read it 3 times and you'll see what I am getting at)
The loss of the MPA resource will only be realised later down the line, and politicians seldom think of that.
And finally, if you have spent 20yrs disagreeing with your masters over safety issues because none can see you are correct, then surely most people would have resigned and moved somewhere where they are appreciated.
Just a thought.