The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has congratulated Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his general election victory.

The outcome of the UK general election means that the United Kingdom and Gibraltar will leave the European Union on 31 January.

However, that departure will be with an agreement and with a transitional period which will apply to Gibraltar. 

The inclusion of Gibraltar in that agreement followed years of sheer hard work on the part of the Government and this now protects the position of Gibraltar on our exit.

The stark alternative, was for Gibraltar to have left the EU without a transition and before the UK itself. This eventuality has been averted through the negotiation of a Gibraltar Protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement, four Memoranda of Understanding and a Tax Treaty.

The hard work has paid off.

On Monday, the Chief Minister will be making a full statement to Parliament on the way forward.

Mr Picardo said, ‘I have written to Boris Johnson to congratulate him on his election as Prime Minister. The result of the election in London is clear and gives him a clear mandate, just as, eight weeks ago, Gibraltar’s election result was clear and gave our Government an equally clear mandate. The argument and the debating is over. It's time to prepare to deliver a Brexit that is safe for Gibraltar and delivers on the result of the successive votes of the people of the United Kingdom. The time has now come to do this.’

13-12-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR