In 2002 I was somewhat surprised to be asked to be an observer for the Gibraltar referendum that the then Labour government had urged as part of ongoing efforts to be eventually shot of the Rock (and during which Gibraltarians voted by 17,900 to 187 to remain a UK overseas territory). Arriving, and sharing similar views to Simon Jenkins (Britain needs to abandon its delusions of empire – giving up the Chagos Islands is a good start, 8 October), I was swiftly disabused of them by the Gibraltarians, who tended to react badly to Spanish bullying, as they still do now.
The same could be said of the Falkland Islands, which Argentina thought could be taken by force after Margaret Thatcher, demonstrating a lack of interest in the islands, downgraded the British passports of the islanders.
