Nothing other at the moment, than a tingling feeling up my spine.

I actually do know a little bit about them and have had a reasonable amount of experience over the years.
On paper, the process is clear, watertight with many built in checks and balances. However, there's always interpretation, very often from the vested interests. I'd just say, if you were starting your own business and decided to tender, based purely on the procurement rules, I don't care how good your bid is, you wouldn't stand a chance.

you quite rightly wouldn't stand a chance, I'd want to see two years accounts and have faith n the fact that you were a viable supplier for the longer term. You wouldn't even get past the first PID.

Warship orders placed with actual rather than mythical shipbuilding industry ... and?

(ducks)

I did say if "you", not me were to start a new business.

Sadly the most relevant point made.

seen as though you manage to start a sentence which goes on to have any meaning, I'd agree.

~polite cough~

apologies, but you understood my point, people bemoan things they know little (if anything) about, it a curse of the Sin Bin (and life in general), do I believe the UK Government (of whatever colour) place contracts domestically where possible, indeed, was that an option in this case, it appears not.

and it isn't as if it's just the coalition that have been guilty of this, administrations over many years (if not decades) have found the same issues and the same challenges, I'm always interesed when the same old stagers bemoan the fact foreign companies get contracts, and yet companies like Siemens, Nissan, Toyota, Novartis et al are all heavily invested in the UK.

it's not so much double standards, as thick people with internet access.

I wouldn't call you thick Standee, even if you have got internet access. "Seen" as you are just so clever and every fink, why don't you just concentrate on finding a cure for athletes foot or motor mouth disease, you know something useful instead of pontificating on here.