As for HK, the UK government was stupid for not negotiating a better deal and installing a strong democratic frameworkk in the first place. It should have stayed under British control, it would have been much better. As for Heathrow, that is a difficult problem, there is the NIMBY factor and environmental concerns like noise and traffic problems that need to be addressed by democratically elected governments, or they will face a possible electoral backlash. It is the same in my home town Sydney with the new airport at Badgery's Creek finally approved. In the UK or Australia politicians can't ride roughshed over peoples rights. Projects can take longer to proceed in Western countries than in dictatorships like China because there are many checks and balances that need to be taken.

About HK, quite right, OK it had to be returned because all the water and other stuff was coming from China, and maintaining a rump colony of just hong kong island and kowloon would not have been economically viable, but it is one of many many mistakes we have made in foreign policy. Like pulling out of the gulf (trucial states) and leaving the gulf arabs there without defense, then the Americans went in and got the lucrative oil and gas contracts, and we got nothing, despite defending them and helping them form their country in some way, the present day UAE. A huge mistake of the labour government, we could have controlled the place by proxy, and had access to the oil and gas, all in return for keeping it as a protectorate.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/sun-sets-on-british-empire-as-uae-raises-its-flag#full

You must be joking about having someone like Putin in control of the UK!

Not really, am actually deadly serious. For about five years, we need someone who can sort out the Heathrow mess, get the crime under control and stuff like that. But then the UK is too kind, and that kindness is taken as weakness.When China dictates to the UK over Hong Kong, we just say OK, there is nothing we can do, trade links with China, and roll over like a dog and lick the PRC governments balls. When in Mali there was a coup d'etat by islamist militants, the french sent in paratroopers and restored the authority of the president there, without any messing about or worrying about hurt feelings, why was that? Because, a former colony, they are responsible for it and have interests there.

We need realpolitik, not pandering to others all the time. Much like when you lend a friend money, they will ask for more and expect it.Another example is India having all our call centre work, while our own youth are attending the jobcentre on stupid schemes to get benefits, get them trained to work in call centres and off the dole. Why we export so much of our own work outside the UK, and show such cowardice and weakness to other countries like China, like India, like the OPEC nations I will never understand.

Where is the spirit of churchill and the british bulldog, we shall fight them on the beaches.....seems that is long gone.