ABSTRACT
Historians assessing the cancellation of the planned new aircraft carrier, CVA01, in 1966 have believed that Denis Healey was clearly sceptical of the carrier programme, and that to some extent therefore, the result of the review was never in doubt. This chapter emphasises the role of Healey in the decision is a significant factor that is often underplayed the impact of personality on the course and outcome of the defence review. Lord Louis Mountbatten had dominated British naval and defence policy-making for almost a decade when a new Labour government was elected in October 1964. Inter-service rivalry added an extra level of acrimony to the internal discussions within the Ministry of Defence over the next 14 months of the defence review. Healey hoped to challenge the Chief of Naval Staff and the Navy Minister over the carrier programme and gain their acceptance for cancellation, partly by making it clear that no other Defence Council member supported procuring CVA01.
