HMS Britain and the Art of Permanent Delay
Full Steam Ahead (Eventually): HMS Britain and the Art of Permanent Delay Version 17 – Final FINAL (Approved) - honestly Somewhere off the British coast, HMS Dragon is preparing valiantly to defend the realm — just as soon as the paperwork clears, the spare parts arrive, and the Wi‑Fi stops dropping out of the command centre. In other words, it is perfectly aligned with the rest of the British state: technically afloat, theoretically functional, and practically waiting for someone to sign off “Version 17 – Final FINAL (Approved)”. The chaos over Dragon’s deployment has become the neatest metaphor for the UK economy and its leadership. Both are, on paper, operational. Both, in practice, spend most of their time in “temporary delay pending further review”. The Navy blames logistics. The Treasury blames “global headwinds”. Ministers blame “uncertainty” — that useful fog that obscures the fact that no one can remember who was supposed to do what, or by when. We are governed by people...