If Malta had remained a British overseas territory

How would decolonisation change if Malta remained tied to Britain as an overseas territory?

The arrangement was plausible, but Britain would inherit continuing defence and foreign-policy commitments that required more forces and funding.

Malta’s constitutional relationship with Britain was debated and could have ended in a Gibraltar-like overseas-territory arrangement. A later exchange stresses that the result would depend on whether the territory governed itself while Britain retained defence and foreign-policy responsibility. That responsibility would require larger British armed forces, permanent local units, and aircraft assigned to protect the territory. Extending the model to Singapore or Hong Kong would strengthen Britain’s global position but also increase the personnel and budget needed to sustain it.