Mr Page is a simpleton of the first order, making his arguments within a stovepipe of his RN experience, rather than looking at any possible wider ramifications.
I fully admit that I haven't spent much time in research, but he really isn't worth it, but a quick search produced the following information:
UK defence industry: in numbers - Telegraph
Ok, so it's dated 2011, but nevertheless, it says, amongst other things, that:#
£35bn - Annual turnover of UK defence industry
£7.2bn - Value of UK defence exports in 2009.
300,000 - Number of people employed by the defence industry overall in the UK.
10pc - Proportion of UK manufacturing made up by defence
40,000 - Number of employees BAE Systems has in the UK
So, Mr Page devastates the UK defence industry by buying foreign. This results in a major loss of our most high tech manufacturing industry. Result, according to him it's that our defence budget is spent more efficiently on cheaper (although he also says JSF is "cripplingly expensive - make your mind up!!) off the shelf foreign items - yes? MAYBE. But what about the effect on the UK governments finances? What makes him think the defence budget will remain unaltered in such a situation. How much corporation tax is lost on that £35Bn turnover? How many jobs are lost in the defence industry (and don't tell me they can just go out and get new jobs). What is the cost to the government of losing a tax payer, on probably above average wages, who becomes a benefit recipient and therefore a tax burden? Say a switch from + to - of £20,000+. Multiply that by what, 100,000?
So how many £Bn of income does the government actually lose in this situation? Answers on a postcard please Mr Page.
BAES shouldn't have a right to MOD orders, but like most things in the grown up world (yes I'm talking to you Mr Page), things aren't as simple as they may at first appear!!
As for his comment about tanks, maybe somebody should tell him that the Germans have just got some of their old ones out of mothballs - thanks to that nice Mr Putin!!