Anyone here read Lord Tedder's autobiography ('With Prejudice')? He writes of a very similar crisis during the Great Depression, where the money men, short of cash, attempted to farm out all RAF training to civil flying training establishments. (The more things change, the more they stay the same.) I can't remember the details, but at great risk to his career, Tedder pulled what could only be called a swiftie in stopping this plan from going ahead.
Had the money men had their way, the RAF would have been woefully short of a training establishment to oversee the massive expansion of WW2.
I'm quite a long way removed from the coal face, especially in the UK, but from afar, it would seem to me that most of the ire so many must be quite rightfully feeling over these swingeing cuts must surely be placed squarely at the door of one Tony Blair and those of his government.
I just hope David Cameron doesn't throw all the proverbial babies out with the bath water. My sincere commisserations to to the many adversely affected.