WEBF,
I think you missed my point. I'm well aware of all the other threads discussing this issue, I only responded to you as you posted it here "for completeness."
Whilst I admire your single-issue enthusiasm, the facts are quite plain. The Government have little appetite to pay for sea power at the moment and the next one will be even less on side. We are out of the VTOL/VSTOL/etc game and the carrier game. My comments reflect only how I read the mood of those that hold the purse strings.
Perhaps we'd all be better off focussing on having essential future capability rather than worrying about what colour it is or whether it looks like a Harrier or not.
M2