The Spanish government threatens to scupper Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal by demanding that changes are made regarding the status of Gibraltar which Spain thinks it should control, despite the territory being British.
Spain’s foreign minister said that his government would refuse to back the UK Brexit proposals unless Gibraltar was excluded.
“The negotiations between Britain and the EU have a territorial scope that does not include Gibraltar, the negotiations on the future of Gibraltar are separate discussions,” commented Spain’s foreign minister, Josep Borrell.
May’s government has let it been known , yet again, that Gibraltar is British, will be included in the Brexit plans and will remain British for as long as its 30,000 inhabitants want this to be the case.
The UK’s withdrawal agreement has to be approved by qualified majority voting at the European Council this coming weekend. If Spain managed to get more support, the process will be halted.
The Spanish government already has been trying to disrupt the process and managed to have inserted a clause in the council’s Brexit guidelines stating that “no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.”
Spain also has an absolute veto over any trade deal between the European Union and the UK.
A Downing Street spokesperson said that, “The prime minister has been clear that we will not exclude Gibraltar or the other overseas territories or the crown dependencies from our negotiations on the future relationship. We will get a deal that works for the whole UK family.”
But the Spanish government insists that that Gibraltar will not be included in any trade deal unless by agreement with Madrid. Spain's PM, Pedro Sánchez, has must have a guarantee or his ogvenrment won't be signing any deal this coming weekend.
Sánchez said Spain's demands over Gibraltar were “essential” and it is not acceptable to have a clause in the withdrawal agreement giving Gibraltar the same deal as the UK.
Sánchez said of the withdrawal agreemnt that is meant to be signed on Sunday, “We are conscious that this is an essential point and if this is not resolved then unfortunately Spain will not be able to vote in favour of it.”
