MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar new governor ratifies UK full support, self determination and dialogue with Spain

Governor Lt Gen Sir James Dutton of the Royal Marines receives the keys of Gibraltar (Pic by Jim Watt)

In previous years the arrival to Gibraltar of a new Governor by sea was part of the pageantry and tradition the Rock had come to expect - but sailing in on flagship HMS Bulwark after a sovereignty patrol of British waters, Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton captured Gibraltarians hearts and souls.

 A Falklands war veteran distinguished Royal Marine, who have a tradition of wearing the single battle honor ‘Gibraltar’ for its original capture in 1704, Sir James brought with him the message Gibraltarians want to hear amidst the oppressive campaigning from Spain’s right wing Government.

”Her Majesty the Queen expressed Her support for the people of Gibraltar and Her continuing best wishes.”

And the message in Parliament from the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Opposition leader Daniel Feetham and the new Governor, who was being sworn in, was clear. Gibraltar stands firmly British and supported by UK, but there is a great willingness to move to dialogue and urge Spain away from confrontation.

“Talking is crucial, and I hope that the ad hoc talks can start soon, not least as a demonstration of goodwill and a shared desire to progress. We remain absolutely ready to talk – but there has to be somebody to talk to!” said Sir James referring to Spain’s failure so far to come back to UK on the proposals for ad hoc talks that seemed imminent to all sides in September.

CM Picardo declared that the Gibraltar Government “is ready for dialogue to deliver understanding in place of confrontation, whether that is under the Tripartite Forum or even under the ‘ad hoc’ formula.”

“But Spain has not yet responded to the UK and Gibraltar’s most recent communications on the proposal,” he said noting that “even the US and other powers are talking to the Islamic Republic of Iran after almost 35 years of diplomatic estrangement. Yet the Partido Popular’s Spain will not talk to Gibraltar.”

And for Mr Feetham for the specific purpose of trying to resolve the current situation and no other, he supports dialogue outside the Tripartite process “as long as the essential architecture of that process was maintained, namely: an open agenda, and a separate voice, vote and veto for Gibraltar.”

“That would ensure that Gibraltar was fully protected and that any talks were safe for this community. The importance of trying to resolve the current situation, overrides the importance of what additional parties attended the talks on the Spanish side, provided the essential architecture of the tripartite talks that I have described was maintained,” he said adding that only the trilateral forum can work in the longer term.

Ahead of his arrival Sir James had conversed at length with six former Governors – Sir John Chapple, Sir Richard Luce, Sir David Durie, Sir Francis Richards and Sir John Fulton, and Sir Adrian Johns.

“All different characters, from different backgrounds, but with one thing at least in common: they all fell in love with Gibraltar and its people and all still have many local connections. I just know that it is going to be the same for Liz (his wife Lady Dutton) and I – and we are both hugely looking forward to it.”

But Sir James noted that he arrives here at a difficult time when “the number, scale and character of incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters is significantly up, and when the delays to cross the border are unacceptably long.”

“Indeed, amounting to harassment: a situation made worse by the illogicality and random nature of their imposition – situations that simply should not exist between two friendly nations that belong to the same political and economic organization, the EU, and to the same military organization, NATO.”

Sir James noted Gibraltar’s survival through 15 historic sieges and of having the distinction of being the only remaining territory on the continent of Europe that remained in Allied hands in World War II.

“I do not think that there has ever been a period when the support of the British Government has been stronger, or so openly expressed. It is now repeated so often that at first I did wonder if it was really necessary for me to again repeat the assurances on sovereignty.” But as the new Governor he did.

Britain, he declared, will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely, and democratically expressed, wishes.

“Britain has also declared, publicly and repeatedly, that ‘it would never even enter a process of negotiation with Spain about the sovereignty of the Rock without Gibraltar’s permission.”

And shooting down joint-sovereignty he added “whatever may have happened in the past, even in the relatively recent past, there can be no doubt or fear by any of us that that commitment would, or could, be breached. The sovereignty case is rock solid – indisputable – non-negotiable, and applies just as strongly to the territorial waters.”

“We occupy the moral high ground on this issue and also on decolonization,” he said adding that, whatever arguments may continue to occur over the fine detail of the decolonization case within the context of the UN, “no reasonable person could claim that Gibraltar is a colony of the UK.”

Nobody applying common sense test could say that the UK has not taken full account of the wishes of the people of Gibraltar – “self-determination certainly rules here.”

“Despite all the irritations and inconveniences, we are 100% sure of the rightness of our position and Britain and Gibraltar are in lock-step on this,” said Sir James also welcoming the strength of the economic situation in Gibraltar.

The new Governor brought with him the message that good neighborly relations between Gibraltar, UK and Spain are truly a ‘win-win-win’ situation.

“Against the background that I have described, of the rock solid relationship with Britain, and our shared belief in the certainty of our case, we can, indeed we must, talk to Spain about the many local issues that are reducing the quality of life, not only here in Gibraltar, but even more so for the Spaniards living just across the border.”

In the better tradition of Parliament the two local politicians gave robust, well-delivered addresses despite the clear political antagonism. Whilst the event is one that almost uniquely gives the Opposition Leader the opportunity to speak without the Chief Minister having the final say in a reply.