London's retirement was a choice among postwar priorities

After the 1949 Yangtze damage, a survey found London's 1928 machinery and large crew too costly to justify an extensive new refit. Britain faced financial difficulties, but debt reduction, an ambitious social programme, and adaptation to jets, nuclear weapons, and changing carrier requirements were also deliberate priorities. Within the naval budget, the costly reconstruction of Victorious consumed resources that might otherwise have supported different ships. One argument, also advanced by Drachinifel, is that slow-building the Malta-class carriers would have been more economical than reconstructing Victorious; the navy still had only the budget the government assigned it. Retaining one isolated eight-inch cruiser also meant sustaining a unique capability and support burden. Faced with that choice, the Royal Navy was more likely to keep Vanguard than London.