alt Hacker NewsFair enough. There are a multiple additional reasons why the UK can no longer afford an expeditionary military to protect their overseas interests, but the full explanation can't fit into an HN comment. The exact reasons aren't relevant to the current state of affairs, the main point is that they lack the capability to do anything even if they wanted to.
The simple reason is, the british stopped being a big empire in the wave of decolonisation. They lost most of their colonies. Not just for military reasons, but human progress. Self determination of people etc. So had no need or funds to sustain a mighty global fleet anymore.
(And health care sounds like a way more useful thing to fund, than the capability to wage war around the globe)
Maybe the US needs to learn that lesson, too? Right now all the US with all its might achieved is blocking a former free flowing transit.