Airstrip One

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Why not actually write to her, I thought? So:

Dear Ms Burchill,

After reading your article in the Guardian I was intrigued. You say that we should "populations, however small, decide what nationality they are for themselves".

But what about those of us at home, can't we decide if we have to defend them?

Is it really in our interests to go rescuing those transplanted Brits half way round the world?

We are slashing the Territorial Army in favour of long distance naval capability, running down our air and sea defences so that we can have strike capabilities in other continents.

Even if we want to let our defences go to pot (that means the defence of the metropolitan power and not a couple of hundred historical accidents in the middle of some Ocean) can't we spend the fruits of our imprudence on something really useful, like tax cuts.

EG