Postwar debt and British naval retrenchment

Why is British postwar naval decline often reduced to debt when the Royal Navy expected Soviet threats?

Debt mattered, but rapid debt repayment was a political choice that limited funds even though Britain could have supported more shipbuilding at a slower repayment pace.

Popular explanations often isolate a single headline cause when the fiscal and political picture is more complicated. Debt mattered, but the pace of repayment was a government choice rather than an immovable limit. Britain continued to devote a large share of public spending to defence while choosing to retire debt faster than strictly necessary. A slower repayment schedule could have released money for additional shipbuilding without ignoring the debt burden.