Please don't get bogged down in the MMA/MPA definition. With the necessary equipment on-board, an MPA can do the job of an MMA. The politicians will use the MMA argument to confuse the issue of purchasing a new platform - claiming that the MRA4 was an MPA but what we really needed was an MMA.
Smoke and mirrors and Snake Oil Salesmen.
The P8 complement of 8 crew can be increased if the extra sensor console is deemed necessary by the customer and is fitted. I believe that there is space allocated for this extra sensor console and provisions have been made for power etc.
I have no first hand experience of the P1, I have used the P8 console simulator. I have to say that I was less than impressed by the demonstrator console, it wasn't as good as the equipment that I was already using. Allowing for the fact that it was a demonstrator, when questioned, the P8 staff confirmed that the spiral 1 wouldn't have many capabilities that we already had.