Lock n' Load,
Rather than banging on about your rights you might be better served trying a flight at the base level of the TMA, where said base level is 5,500 ft, with flight information from Scottish Information until 40 miles from EGPH
If that suggestion was Made to every other operator in the TMA their response will be the same as mine -
Although I know one operator who would say something along the lines of - "Yea that is a great idea as long as we don't get any more STMA flow restrictions.
That is where the UK system falls down - they have to cope with a European wide flow management system which excludes VFR flights because as everyone knows, VFR flights do not require ATC separation outside class C and thus have no need for ATC slots. If the TMA allows random VFR flights (Class D and no established VFR routes) then the ATS unit can expect VFR flights to call for random routings. The reason why they call up for clearances on routes at 90 degrees to the Busy IFR streams is the big chunk of Class A to the south blocking arrivals from that direction.
What I hope most pilots get from this is - always be IFR until the TMA boundary and only then go VFR. (Note - one does not need an IR or IMC to be IFR in UK class G!!
Regards,
DFC