Why a British CATOBAR fleet would not adopt the F-14

Would Britain have bought improved F-14s if it had retained CATOBAR carriers?

No; CVA-01 was too small for the F-14, and Britain would more likely upgrade the Phantom and pursue a Buccaneer-derived replacement.

In this counterfactual, CVA-01 is treated as unable to accommodate the F-14's size and weight. Retaining CATOBAR aviation would initially favor keeping and upgrading the F-4 Phantom. Buccaneer wing problems would then create pressure for an earlier replacement, before waiting for the F-14 or F/A-18 became a satisfactory answer. A developed Super Buccaneer is the preferred hypothetical alternative, partly because a British design would preserve national industrial standing. The suggested sequence replaces the ordinary Buccaneers first and eventually combines fighter and strike duties in one aircraft type.