EAP86, The difference with Watchkeeper is that it is no longer just operating over military ranges and areas of conflict. With governments wanting to operate Watchkeeper and Predator or 'Protector' (as they like to call it now!) over the heads of their voting public, replacing manned aircraft, transparency is needed to keep their voters on side.
Approval to operate Predator in UK airspace was sought
Before 2007, UAV operation in the UK was, to the best of my knowledge, confined to military ranges and sparsely populated areas, so maybe of less interest to the Dronewars people. Prototype and development UAVs, not destined for production, which get bent on a military range, are of little concern to anyone other than UAV developers and potential operators, unless the future intention is to use them elsewhere.