Sovereignty - the right to rule ourselves - is the most precious right of any society.
Two world wars were fought to ensure that we did not become a vassal state to another.
We stood firm and kept our freedom, yet, it is now, in my view, being gradually eroded.
Some poor and ill-thought out legislation and some extraordinary interpretations of them are at fault.
The European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act are based on general principles which we would all applaud.
Indeed, since the very first Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, Britain has been a proud signatory.
Yet slowly, these admirable principles, designed to ensure dignity, equality and a peaceful existence for all, have been corrupted to protect the least deserving.
There are few better illustrations of this than the example of Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, the Eritrean fundamentalist convicted of involvement in the July 21 suicide bomb plot in 2005.
Just released - four years early, despite being graded the highest possible security risk - he is surely an obvious candidate for deportation.
He is not a British citizen; on the contrary, he despises our 'corrupt' society, which in his mind gives him the right to destroy it.
Unbelievably, the authorities are unable to send him back where he came from because it would infringe his human rights.
Under the human rights’ legislation, clause three allows criminals to fight deportation on the grounds they might be tortured in their home countries.
Unsurprisingly, convicted terrorists have cottoned on to this ploy.
Worse, some gain asylum here, winning a lifetime's access to a welfare state their intended victims are paying for.
The Home Office deplores the situation but says its hands are tied.
One of our election promises last year was to replace the European Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights, which would enable us to protect our freedom more stringently.
It’s time we kept that promise.
Defence of the realm - both inside and out - must be a priority.