I am writing this letter as a “neutral” with no party allegiance and with an angelic fear of being perceived to be commenting on Maltese politics.

Ms Valerie Borg stated in her letter The Indomitable ‘Dom’ (TMID, 11 August) that, “If it weren’t for Dom Mintoff…, Malta would still have been a colony…”.

Now I was around in the 1950s, and the historic facts are:

Mr Mintoff’s first election victory in 1955 was on his platform of Malta being “integrated” with Britain.

The integration negotiations finally broke down in 1958.

The Labour Party then changed its policy to one of seeking independence.

In 1962, after the Nationalists had won the election, all Malta’s major parties called for independence, which was in 1964 when they were still in power.

By then the British had been dismantling their Empire since India’s independence in 1947 and, after 1957, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan had speeded up their policy of decolonisation.

There now are 14 British Overseas Territories (ex-colonies) because they choose to remain so, most notably Gibraltar and The Falklands.

The following is opinion:

After 1957, British colonies wanting independence were pushing at an open door.

Therefore, whether “integration” or “independence”, I cannot imagine any circumstance of Malta having remained a colony.

And that is my last word.

Alex P Galea

Woking

England