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UK increasingly concerned with escalation of Gibraltar/Spain border conflict

Monday, August 5th 2013 - 16:06 UTC
Full article 28 comments

Prime Minister David Cameron is “seriously concerned” about the escalation of tensions at the Spanish-Gibraltar border. Spain has said it is considering a range of proposals including a new 50 Euro (£43) fee to cross the border with the British territory. Read full article

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  • Britworker

    Very interested to hear what the EU's stance is in all this, they are being very conspicuous in their silence at the moment.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 04:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Think

    TWIMC
    The current “troubles” were caused by the English building their “Artificial Reef”....
    Maybe Spain should build one of their own around Gibraltar's harbor...

    A looooong shallow one ....

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 04:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Britworker

    @2
    Oh fuck off you toss pot!

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 04:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Mr Ed

    @2 I don't think that the English were within 1,000 miles of the reef, it was built by Gibraltarians, who have ever dumped political prisoners in the Bay of Algeciras from helicopters, or thrown nuns off bridges, or even donkeys from church towers.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @2 Think

    The Gibraltarians built the reef, they got the idea from Spain, who have built dozens of them.

    And what Gibraltar decides to do in it's own waters, is a matter for the Government of Gibraltar, not Spain.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • reality check

    Spain should take advice from these Argies, after all they are one hell of a success story down south. Not!

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pirate Love

    @2 pray tell think whos territory do you believe gibraltars authorities placed the reef??
    as for “current troubles” I do believe that started at the same time as spains economy went tits up...I guess you will blame the English for that too, as it suits your phobia for all that is gloriously ENGLISH.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Britworker

    Finally the EU has spoken, and Spain had better follow EU law.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23578559

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Nic

    That's rich from Spain to blockade Gibraltar. What about the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in Morocco?

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • reality check

    Yeah, with all the authority of a damp squib!

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Faz

    To Think who may be concerned. Pizza off! Nothing to do with you. None of your business. Gib will prevail, the Falklands are free, prosperous and peaceful. You can drip continuously. Unfortunately all Latino lands are slowly going down the plughole and we are laughing at you.. Remember you are merely entertainment. Kindest regards to your master Gollum.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Vestige

    all Latino lands.

    Like I thought.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 05:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Troy Tempest

    And who would ever change your thinking, prejudices, or victimhood?

    You're far too satisfied grousing about the chip on your shoulder. You wouldn't know what to do otherwise.

    We give a 'useless tool', purpose.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 07:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • grimbler

    Look Spain does not really want to take back Gibraltar in any serious fashion ie extreme cost of defying the EU because if they invaded which they easily could what would we do? bombard Gibraltar? (30,000 inhabitants) no we would apply legal and moral and other pressures and Spain know that's also then the green light for Morocco to kick them out of their enclaves there and guess what? British submarines would ensure that no Spanish reinforcements went to the aid of their beleaguered colonies due to the defacto state of war ensuing between Spain and UK. As a quid pro quo Morocco would allow us use of their airfields to ensure no fly zones over the theatre were enforced. Yes the UK might not be able to regain Gibraltar (we would not put our civilians in line of fire) but Spain might seriously regret starting anything! Of course I am only a civilian God knows what might happen in the heat of battle?

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 07:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • malen

    queues..nice word......you always have to make queues in a bank, in the municipality, in the shops, in the bathroom, in the cinema, in the theatre, in the restaurants, in the parking, in the gym, in the train, bus, in the peajes (long queues) or dont you pay peajes?? its part of our everyday life.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 07:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Faz

    ...all Latino lands..yes! If Merkel loses Germany will loose patience. Guess what, no more bailouts. Plughole is waiting in anticipation. Be very afraid..

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 07:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @14 -

    We could certainly bomb the crap out of Spain though...

    But Spain isn't stupid enough to invade Gibraltar. It would immediately be sanctioned by the EU and the UN. It's access to money would immediately be stopped (and they haven't got any of their own).

    This would then lead on to mass rioting by the people of Spain who wouldn't have much of anything, mass desertions from the Spanish armed forces (as Spain wouldn't be able to pay their wages) and the Spanish government would be bound to fall.

    So all in all a pretty unlikely scenario.

    Besides, the Spanish have tried to invade Gibraltar several times in the past, and got a bloody nose each time.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 07:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • St.John

    Forget the martial nonsense.

    All it takes is a £ 30 tax on every Britisher who leaves for or returns from Spain - zero on travelling to/from Greece, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, etc.

    Aug 05th, 2013 - 08:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • toooldtodieyoung

    Isn't it about time that HMS Defender paid a visit to Gibraltar?

    She is the last of the T45's off the line isn't she?

    Shouldn't she be out and about, on a “Meet and greet”? to ALL the British BOT's??

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 03:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Conqueror

    @18 Why tax Brits? The thing to do is to charge every Spaniard £100 to enter any British territory and another £100 to leave. So that's the UK, the British Crown Dependencies and the fourteen BOTs. One lovely journey for a Spaniard would be to enter the UK and then travel on to Jersey and then Guernsey. £200 to get into and out of the UK, another £200 to get into and out of Jersey, another £200 to get into and out of Guernsey and then yet another £200 to get into and out of the UK again. But, even better, it would cost every Spaniard entering and leaving Gibraltar £200. Possibly every day if they are regular workers. Considering what most Spaniards entering Gibraltar to work do, I'd be surprised if they could afford the weekly £1,430 to cross and re-cross the border. On the plus side, the money taken from Spaniards could be used to reimburse other nationalities crossing the border.
    @19 No, it isn't. Please explain the use of an air-defence destroyer in the Gibraltar situation. What is she going to use? Her main gun? The Oerlikon 30mms, the miniguns or the GPMGs? A good response would be half a squadron of the Army's Apache attack helicopters. Perhaps the AAC could send some of its Eurocopter Squirrels for regular patrol and to call in the Apaches when necessary. Like to see a Guardia Civil patrol boat stand up to a Hellfire missile! Or even just the chain gun.

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 06:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • aussie sunshine

    Just hope Spain does what it has said it will do and does not back down!!!!!!
    The time is now or never to sort out this illegal occupation of Spanish soil.
    Spain should bring back to Spain all its military forces stationed around the world including the Apache helicopters recently sent to Afganistan.
    Put its LHD on war defence loaded with combat planes.
    Bring in the Foreign Legion to help out on the border and stop any Gib who gets out of order like the the Gib who ran down a police constable on the border this morning and took off with his tobacco contraband....
    The British government can vry wolf but Spain must do what it has promised to do..
    The EU can F**** O**** it has nothing to do in a border that has no Schegen control......
    Moonface (Picardo) will bring war to Europe hope he is satisfied....
    International Brigades offices should be opened for all those foreigners who want to enlist on the Spanish side......
    I would have liked Spain to have had nucleur bombs just like The UK but they were silly to sign the No Proliferation Agreement..hope they change their minds...

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 10:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • toooldtodieyoung

    21 aussie sunshine

    WOW!! that's a lot of tough talking.......... from someone living all the way out there is Aussie-land!!!

    “The time is now or never to sort out this illegal occupation of Spanish soil”

    I take it ( from your statement above ) that education is something that happened to other kids at your school but missed you completely, right?

    This from wikipedia:-

    “An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from the Kingdom of Castile in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf of the Habsburg pretender to the Spanish throne. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain ”in perpetuity“ under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. ”

    You see? Any kind of idiot can find the right information using wikipedia... so you must not be “Any kind of idiot” then huh?

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 11:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Troy Tempest

    21 Argie sunstroke

    You speak like its 1936 - are the fascists at war again!???

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 12:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • St.John

    @ 20 Conqueror

    “Why tax Brits?”

    Because this will cost Spain a fortune.

    Charging the Spaniards will keep them from spending in the UK, deps. & BOTs, while charging the Brits will keep them from spending in Spain.

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 12:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    Thin Pinstriped Line
    Solid as the Rock? The current situation in Gibraltar and the Falklands.
    http://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00Z&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00Z&max-results=15
    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    The rule of law will prevail,
    Trust me, the mighty EU would collapse if this was allowed to get out of hand..

    .

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 03:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • aussie sunshine

    Didn´t know Olly Murs had a top ten song in the English chart!!
    “ Dear Darling” damn nice song......
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q3sIs-LACU

    Aug 06th, 2013 - 06:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GibBook

    Check out what ‘The Man from Gibraltar’ has to say - http://bit.ly/1591GpQ

    Aug 07th, 2013 - 05:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    JOKE OF THE YEAR,
    The Spanish government letting all its regions have a referendum
    Just to prove to the British that they are loyal to and love Spain,

    After the referendum asking if you want independence, or be British , or stay loyal to Spain,

    3 chose to be British, and the rest chose independence,
    [Conclusion]
    The Spanish government all 32 , now camped outside the UN buildings, are asking CFK for government asylum in Argentina,
    Ha ha , , ha ha , you just could not make it up…lol.
    .

    Aug 07th, 2013 - 02:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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