Looks like the government was out-bullied by the CAA, that refused to create a “Plan B”:
https://twitter.com/mattholehouse/st...64686811627520
CAA’s Andrew Haines: “we are very uncompromising in our view that we should not be planning for a new independent aviation safety system in the UK. Indeed, we have consciously decided not to do that work as it would be misleading to suggest that’s a viable option.”