It might "hit home", but at the end of the day, decisions like this are made (generally) on a personal level, with relationships to the fore. If CMD and Gideon (or Gromit and Ball-ache) don't like the people bringing the argument, or need to balance some internal politics* in order to achieve a more important task, then it doesn't matter if some poor bugger has crafted a beautiful piece of staff work on OPVs or the need for Strategic Airlift - it will all go by the wayside. Rant and wail all you like, but it's the truth, and we shouldn't have it any other way. And that's likely the reason that UKSF, CASD and GCHQ/SIS/BSS will nearly always win any funding battle.
*Or coalition politics!