So, is half the British Army in Malta, or what?

Guests who had booked tables for supper this evening at the Victoria Hotel in George Borg Olivier Street, Sliema (next door to Capua Palace/St James Hospital) were informed that matters had to be delayed until at least 9.30pm because “the restaurant has to feed a large number of English soldiers”.

It is not clear whether that “large number of English soldiers” are actually billeted at the Victoria Hotel or whether they were just there for supper.

But the point remains, there is a large number of British soldiers in Malta – and the prime minister lied when he said to his interviewer in The Sunday Times yesterday that Britain’s “help” with security extends only to airborne measures with planes based in Sicily, and the like.

I suppose Muscat is too embarrassed to own up to the fact that the Maltese army, thrown into disarray and rendered useless in short order by that fat old corrupt toad, Manuel Mallia, and under the command of Muscat’s personal friend Jeffrey Curmi – the “instant Brigadier” – is unable to cope and that’s why the British army had to be called in, or the British government insisted it be called in.

And aside from having to own up to the mess that he and his corrupt army minister made of what was a fully-functioning army, Joseph Muscat, the Great Labour Leader, obviously cannot let slip to his rabid ‘Hlisna Mill-Barrani’ brigade of neo-Mintoffians that yes, the British army is back in Malta because Commander Jeffrey Curmi and Deputy Commander Mark Mallia – both of whom have been completely inaudible and invisible in this security saga, hiding from the press – cannot cope.

The prime minister with his family friend Jeffrey Curmi, the ‘just add water and microwave’ instant brigadier, under whose leadership the army was wrecked to the point where it can’t cope with CHOGM security and the British army had to be called in.