Its all taxpayers money....
One way or another. An obvious sign we haven't got our national finances in order? I was only using town X as one immediate example that happened today - this sort of cutback is going on everywhere at many levels all over the British Isles, weekly. Could have come closer to home, or further away..
(If the RAF has money to spend within its budget on a display in New Zealand (!!) when it hasn't got...you tell me- it needs to look at how it spends its budget. And who is in charge of its budget.
* If it really is "only" 8.8 million pa get British Industry/Commercial sponsorship? RR,BAE and other aviation/arms dealers to pay for it....plenty of them.