Political considerations aside…

Considering the fairly short range of the Lightning, did the RAF even want a long range interceptor?

It’s interesting to see the note that states that the RAF planned the P.1 to be their last manned interceptor.
It’s a bit of support for those who have said that the Arrow’s biggest non-financial problem may have been timing (rather than any giant conspiracy by
U.S. firms frightened by Canada’s superplane). Indeed, the U.S. never fielded a new land-based purpose-built interceptor after the F-106.