The wrong route

THE Falklands will be British as long as the islanders want to be. I don´t think that anyone in Britain would really support moves to negotiate sovereignty of the Falkland Islands but I do think that the British government could make a greater diplomatic effort with Argentina. Rather than listening to Argentine demands Britain despatches a state of the art destroyer to the South Atlantic with plenty of sabre rattling and Prince William will be based on the islands as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot.

There is talk in the British media of a possible second Argentine invasion. All this at a time when Britain is desparately trying to encourage more trade with South America! In some ways Britain is playing into Argentine hands and is behaving like “a former colonial power in decline,” like Argentina has claimed. I am sure that the Foreign Office does not agree with the sabre-rattling which is taking place at the moment. For the record Britain could not despatch a Task Force if the Falklands were invaded because the coalition in their wisdom decided to rid the Royal Navy of its Harrier jets. Britain´s military muscle is weaker than it was in 1982 and let us remember that South America has become a major economic powerhouse (Brazil´s economy is bigger than Britain´s). Times have changed. Britain should follow the diplomatic route and it is not only the Falkands. Spain´s new government is making new moves for Gibraltar.