Re: Spain Threatens Boots on the Ground in Gibraltar

We know that, they know that, the media know that is what will happen. The point of it all beats me.

Silly season has started, the political (kids) are on holiday.

Re: Spain Threatens Boots on the Ground in Gibraltar

I think that the point is that the EU simply cannot resist using the "stick", especially in this case when they are probably jittery over Northern Ireland and are hoping that this Gibraltar episode will somehow persuade the UK to give in to their bullying.

The same tactics are failing the EU in multiple instances including Poland, Hungary, Belarus, Turkey, etc. etc. etc. but as is the EU way they just will not learn that often the carrot is better than the stick.

Re: Spain Threatens Boots on the Ground in Gibraltar

Spain have wanted to get their hands on Gibraltar since the Treaty of Utrecht was signed in the 1400's.

Franco's fascism still lives on in Spain and the constant breach of international laws by the Spanish have ranged from trying to block the airport, frustrating the border and sailing their warships into our territorial waters. I remember way back when the EU-UK negotiating position was originally written and back then, the EU backed Spain and put a clause in (Section 23 I think ?) which stated that a separate trade agreement will be negotiated after the UK withdrawal from the EU. We've known about this since 2016 ... its nothin new.

My own solution (if anyone is interested) would be to do the following (in order).

1. Give Gibraltar a representative in Westminster (an MP). This would change the status of Gibraltar from a territory to a devolved UK nation and it would have all the UK rights we give to Wales and Scotland etc. It would effectively make Gibraltar a region of the UK, giving them a say and a vote in Parliament. (We should do the same for the Falklands too).

2. Petition to move the Spain/Gibraltar border 30Km back into Spain so that Spanish and Gibraltarian workers commuting would not be affected by Spanish border guards locking access into and out of Gibraltar.

3. Remove all access from UK territorial waters to Spanish boats and Spanish flag boats, then expand it to the French and then the Danish if Spain still tries to frustrate the border in Gibraltar.

That would be a good start ...