A second carrier base on Merseyside

A larger carrier fleet raises the question of where Britain could establish a second base alongside Portsmouth. Merseyside is proposed because it has the water space and depth needed to bring large carriers in. Portsmouth's established naval role would still encourage investment in access and dredging. A Merseyside base would extend naval employment into another group of constituencies and give their MPs a direct interest in retaining the fleet. Cuts large enough to threaten the base would consequently create local political opposition as well as an operational loss.