HANDS OFF GIBRALTAR, BRITAIN TELLS SPAIN

As we reported yesterday, this was an ongoing 5-year campaign by Spain from 2014 to 2019, with the suggestion that Gibraltarians be given dual nationality and Spain acquire involvement in Gibraltar political affairs.

Yesterday, the Daily Mail hit back at Spain after Britain launched a strong attack against Spain.

The Prime minister’s official spokesman said: ‘The people of Gibraltar have repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed their wish to remain under British sovereignty and we will respect their wishes.

WISHES

‘We will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes.

‘Furthermore the UK will not enter into any process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

‘We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to safeguard Gibraltar, its people and its economy including maintaining a well-functioning Gibraltar-Spain border.’

Citizens of The Rock, which overwhelmingly backed Remain at the 2016 referendum, have consistently pledged their allegiance to Britain, including in referendum.

Chief minister Fabian Picardo said: The position of the Spanish embassy in Washington DC has been robustly countered by Gibraltar on a number of occasions. We hope that the Spanish Embassy will see that its campaign of misinformation about Gibraltar gets nowhere and that a new attitude will prevail.

The serving congressmen who confirmed they were targeted were Republicans George Holding and David Rouzer (North Carolina), Ken Calvert and Paul Cook (California), and Jim Sensenbrenner (Wisconsin), plus Democrat Gerry Connolly (Virginia). A seventh, Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen (New Jersey), retired last year.

They told the Telegraph that the Spanish officials referred to Gibraltar as a ‘colony’ and at times were ‘belligerent’, ‘forceful’, ‘aggressive’ and ‘over the line’.

Gibraltar has been aware of the Spanish campaign and have countered it.

WASHINGTON CAMPAIGNS

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia have visited Washington DC to put the record straight and to keep Gibraltar’s Rock-solid relations with the USA as strong as ever.

MORE IN PANORAMA PRINT EDITION

05-08-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR