Reagan-era heavy cruisers become Kirov-scale missile and gun ships

What if the Reagan administration built new heavy cruisers to escort carriers instead of reactivating the Iowa class, and would Britain respond?

The American ships could be Kirov-sized, missile-heavy, perhaps nuclear-powered cruisers with 8-inch guns, while Britain might develop aviation and gun-missile variants on a common hull.

The United States could revive and develop the 8-inch automatic gun technology held in storage. The ship would likely carry a large missile battery and displace roughly as much as a Kirov-class cruiser. Nuclear propulsion is plausible at that scale and in that political setting. Britain, already considering cruiser and carrier programs, might answer with a common hull split between Invincible-like aviation ships and missile-and-gun cruisers.