As stated by other posters, yet again MoD is being stiffed by the BCs as a result of their "can do" attitude.
Nary a whisper of complaint when whole fleets and capabilities were chopped. e.g. MPA. Just an unseemly rush toward gongdom.
Other Departments are fighting their corner to the last, so the BCs turn again toward the supine MoD Stars, approaching from the side the goings tilt them toward. "Cheques" and balance takes on a whole new meaning.
On the other hand, it won't have escaped the BCs that it remains MoD policy and practice that knowingly wasting money is highly rewarded, while those who refuse can wave good bye. Until MoD are seen to rescind that particularly fraudulent rule, they will be a prime target.
As for politics & MoD, I'd say Bernard Gray is definitely a political appointment as CDM (?). His brief will be to implement his 2009 report. Or at least those parts that don't upset the BCs. He'll find resistance from within to the remainder. For example, he suggested it would be a good idea to both quantify and cost requirements before letting contracts. (On the basis that one must quantify before one can cost and if you don't, how does anyone know what the equipment budget should be?). MoD ditched that notion in 1987. How many are left who can produce the regs of the day and effect seamless regression? (I've still got mine - they are the bible for time, cost and performance). And he'll probably discover the SDSR cuts mean he has to write another report against an ever-shifting baseline.
What a bloody mess.