Would a peace-minded British government accelerate ships?

How likely is the prewar British government to accelerate warships while trying not to appear warlike?

Quite likely: it can preserve a restrained public posture through treaty-compatible designs while building earlier against a recognized German threat.

The end of the Ten Year Rule in 1932 reflects growing acceptance that war is coming. Choosing treaty-compatible 14-inch guns lets Britain present the King George V class as restrained while still ordering five ships and planning the Lions. A larger German program therefore provides a politically usable reason to accelerate ships already intended for construction. Earlier ordering changes the timetable without requiring ministers to abandon the public language of treaty restraint.