Referendum solves nothing

He must know that the idea of national self-determination for a transplanted population of little more than 1,500 people is nonsense.

And the islanders now wrapping themselves in the union flag in their belief that their occupation of what the entire region calls the Malvinas is secure should develop a sense of history.

Not the fairy tales trotted out about British sovereignty over the Falklands but the actual history of other island outposts acquired by Britain's empire.

For example, the Chagos islanders could have demonstrated a similarly overwhelming vote in favour of remaining on Diego Garcia rather than seeing it converted into a US airbase while they were expelled to an uncertain future in Mauritius.

Their interests were not allowed to interfere with the British government's prime responsibility of ingratiating itself with Washington by offering the US an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean.

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Similarly, when Britain no longer has the capacity or desire to frustrate the ambition of the Argentinian people to secure the islands' return, those currently living there will find how little their views matter.

Cameron asserts that the Falklands "may be thousands of miles away but they are British through and through and that is how they want to stay. People should know we will always be there to defend them."

The islands are not British through and through even though the people living there clearly are, which isn't surprising since they are full UK citizens.

The very geographical location that Cameron describes indicates how idiotic it is to refer to them as British and it illustrates the emptiness of his military threat.

When the Falklands war took place 30 years ago, both Argentina and Chile, which collaborated with Britain, were military dictatorships. Both are democracies now, united in demanding the decolonisation of the islands.

Britain doesn't have a single ally in Latin America for its flag-waving adventurism in the South Atlantic, which would hamper any efforts to seek a military confrontation over the islands.

However, Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has made clear that there will be no repetition of 1982. Her country will rely on the power of argument, global opinion and regional solidarity.

Cameron, together with both Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander, should move beyond the Falklands war mindset and accept the need to open negotiations with Buenos Aires.

Clegg, we're not fooled

Liberal Democrat shenanigans over a mansion tax make clear that, when they proposed it, it was intended only as an electoral ploy, along with the pledge not to increase student tuition fees.

To propose an amendment backing the principle while rejecting a Labour proposal to implement the tax might seem tactically clever inside the House of Commons, but it will take few tricks outside the Westminster bubble.

Given that their Tory partners will never back a mansion tax, do the Liberal Democrats believe that the electorate will in consequence return them as the largest party at the next election to deliver it?

Not a chance. Voters are seeing through the hypocrisy of pre-poll radicalism and post-election conservatism and will deliver a harsh judgement on Nick Clegg's crew as soon as they can.