Now, I'm as much of a grumpy old sod as the best of them but some of the posts here have flicked my switch!

Why are we even bothering? It’s just a huge waste of money blah blah blah.

Well, the reason we are bothering is because it shows we can. It shows that Britain is still an incredible centre of technical excellence and innovation. It shows that we have the desire to push boundaries, both physical and technological. It shows that we are willing to enthuse and inspire the next generation of young men and women to embrace science and engineering. It shows that our military still support cutting edge technology. It shows the whole world that Britain isn’t just a lap dog of Washington or Brussels.

If all of that costs a few quid then I say the benefit we get from it is worth ten times the cost.