Could Britain have afforded more Audacious-class carriers?

Could Britain easily have afforded at least three of the four Audacious-class carriers?

Yes. Postwar restraint deferred investment while technology matured and debt fell, although Britain retained the capacity to fund a later carrier-building surge.

Britain could have afforded at least three of the four planned Audacious-class ships. The postwar government chose to pay down debt while technologies and requirements matured, knowing it could borrow for a later building surge. Financial capacity still existed, but policymakers delayed deciding which carriers to build and when to build them. Completing the Malta-class carriers is also presented as a missed opportunity that Britain could have funded.