MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

PM Cameron repeats ‘re-colonization’ argument for Gibraltar and Spain

“We stand for self-determination” said PM Cameron

Repeating his recent statement regarding the Falkland Islands and Argentina, British Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK backed Gibraltar’s right to self determination and that to go against the wishes of its people would amount to “re-colonisation”.

PM Cameron made the statement in response to questions from a Spanish Popular Party MP during an address to the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg last week.

Spanish MP Pedro Agramunt from the ruling party Partido Popular asked for Mr Cameron’s views on decolonisation, and got the following reply.

“I am not sure whether the last part of your question was on Gibraltar or the issue of the Falklands, which has been raised recently” Mr Cameron said.

”I have a very clear view: we should stand for self-determination, and as long as people in a part of the world that is part of the United Kingdom, effectively, want to remain with that status, far from being de-colonisation, it would actually be re-colonisation to go against their wishes, and that is the case in all those instances”.

Meanwhile Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister, warmly welcomed, on behalf of all the People of Gibraltar, the words of Mr Cameron defending the right to self-determination.

Speaking from London, Mr Picardo said: “This is one of the clearest ever statements in defence of our rights by the most senior British politician. The Prime Minister put the position as it is, and as it must remain, in totally unambiguous terms. The fact that the answer from Mr Cameron was in response to a question from a Spanish person clearly confirms that the Prime Minister understood exactly the message he was sending and to whom”.

Picardo added the had written to the Prime Minister to thank him for the clarity of his words and the robust, unequivocal and unambiguous position set out by him for the British Government in respect of the rights of the People of Gibraltar and the forthright stand he has taken on the matter.