Arfor,
You may have thought you were helping out by cancelling IFR. Why would you need to 'help out'? Obviously There were conflicts that provided a block, whether you were IFR or VFR. Going VFR is not going to help
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Wow. Settle down there. I was no. one but with a jet up my date with a very similar eta. Tower was starting to throw ideas at the jet about how they could make some space, so I asked if cancelling ifr and proceeding vfr would help, to which the reply was yes. I was then forced to remain clear of the next step and orbit for a few minutes in an area between mountains that happened to be quite turbulent and highly uncomfortable for my passengers.
You can bleat on all you like about who is responsible for collision avoidance, but the fact is that in D that collision avoidance is supposed to be provided by traffic information rather than fully blown separation. A separation service is not supposed to be provided vfr to ifr and whilst workoad permitting to do so is not a problem, to deny a clearance and cause delays in order to provide such separation, in fully blown daytime cavok conditions, undermines what D, ICAO or FAA, is really about.