In the role of light bomber/strafer? Something with fighter genes - ideally the Hurricane, but even a Ki-27 equivalent with 4-6 LMGs is still good (like that Gloster fighter). The MB.2, too, with the 1000 HP Dagger (not mandatory; a low-gear S/C Mercury will do).
In the role of artillery spotter? A high-wing 2-seater with <250 HP engine in the nose.
Either of these aircraft is well within the scope of both the UK design offices and industry so many can be made.
I think we are going by each other on this one.
The colonial policing aircraft needed to do a number of things as there weren't going to be very many of them covering a large area.
They needed to do recon, they sometimes needed to land in remote areas to evacuate men (even if they just fell off a horse), or land an officer.
The bombing was often last resort. But it could take several weeks to get actual bombers moved in.
The Hawker Biplanes replaced the old Brisfit's. The Tribesmen had very few machine guns so the AA was almost entirely rifles.
For combat in France supporting the BEF the Lysanders was a mistake. It was trying to do too many different things so it wasn't good at any of them.
The actual requirement was faulty and separating the roles out into different types of planes would have been much more efficient.
The Problem wasn't the lack of British design capability, it was doctrine coupled with empire building.
The Army wanted some sort of local air support, even if only for artillery spotting and transporting officers quickly rather than using staff cars.
The Bomber Boys didn't want to spend a single coin on army aircraft. That would hurt the bomber campaign that was the ONLY way to win the war.
Every 100 army co-operation planes were 20-50 fewer bombers and for every 100 Army pilots that was 100 RAF pilots not trained and wearing RAF patches.
Ideally the Army wanted their own tactical bombers and their own fighters but this was wrong. What was needed was better communications so that instead of each division having a 1-2 fighter squadrons and 1-2 light bomber squadrons a fewer number of aircraft could be concentrated over the most important parts of the land battle. It took a while in NA for the Army generals to understand this and for the RAF guys in NA to gain the trust of the Army generals that support would be available when needed instead of flying off to targets hundreds of miles away.
Getting the communications between the headquarters down was almost as important as the types of planes used.
Now the problem with British supply is, as shown by an earlier poster, actual manufacturing capability was in the hands of only a few firms. You had De Havilland and then you had everybody else put together. But 130-250hp wooden aircraft don't require the tooling/industry that all metal aircraft need. You also don't need hundreds of such planes in 1939-40.
A few score will do the trick and scale up from there.
