Spain should abandon its attempts to cleave Gibraltar from the UK

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 Monday, December 10, 2018 - 11:06

By Ashley Fox MEP

*Ashley Fox is an MEP for South West England and Gibraltar, and is the leader of Britain’s Conservative MEPs.

As an MEP for Gibraltar, I hope the events have convinced Sanchez that making undeliverable promises on Gibraltar is not going to help his struggling government. The territory’s sovereignty is not, and never has been, on the agenda, and nothing in the Withdrawal Agreement changes that. 

As for his claim that the Political Declaration excludes Gibraltar from future UK/EU agreements without Spain’s express consent, that too is smoke and mirrors.

The British Government has been clear throughout the Brexit process that it will negotiate the future relationship on behalf of all territories for which it is responsible. Under EU rules trade deals require the unanimous support of all member states and Spain, like every other country, will have a veto on the eventual UK/EU agreement. But that does not mean, as Sanchez has suggested, that it will be able to cleave Gibraltar way from the UK.

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