Spain will not put Gibraltar at the centre of Brexit negotiations, the country’s Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis Quecedo, said in an interview with the Financial Times. Dastis Quecedo told the newspaper that the EU should start trade talks with Britain relatively soon and had no plan to impose a “punitive” Brexit deal that would weaken London as a financial centre.
An update on the progress of the Falkland Islands’ economy has been given to the Falkland Islands Association at their annual general meeting in London. Member of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Mike Summers indicated that all aspect of the Islands development were doing well.
A UK member of Parliament has come out strongly in support of the British Overseas Territories praising their economic success and the right of their peoples to govern and decide their own future. MP Andrew Rosindell, Chairman of the BOT and Crown Dependencies all party Parliamentary groups described suggestions from some senior figures in Westminster calling for 'direct rule' over BOT's as unnecessary and unjust, based on a complete misunderstanding of the situation.
The Falkland Islands have received assurances of sustained support from the British Parliament and from the Falkland Islands Association at that organisation’s annual general meeting in London where members were given a positive report of progress and economic development in the Islands.
Battle Day was commemorated in the traditional manner at the Cenotaph in central London on Saturday 5th December. The traffic was stopped in Whitehall, and the service was conducted by former Rector of Christchurch Cathedral in Stanley the Rev. Dr. Richard Hines.
The UK government is looking forward to working with the new government of Argentina and hopes the people of the Falkland Islands will not suffer the bellicosity shown by the current administration, said Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire in Parliament.
A recent formation of the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, FOTBOT, had an interesting participation at the British parties conferences this season with fringe meetings open to the public and panel discussions on political issues pertaining to the British Overseas Territories, including whether BOT's should have representation in Westminster.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, MP Andrew Rosindel and Charles Tannock MEP, were among several personalities that visited the Falkland Islands stand at the Conservative Conference which is taking place in Manchester. He was met by Falklands lawmakers Jan Cheek and Roger Edwards, and Sukey Cameron, head of FIGO, Falklands' government office in London.
British Government will continue to press Spain to honor the agreement to step up law enforcement cooperation in Gibraltar waters, Philip Dunne Minister of State for Defence has said. Mr Dunne was responding to a written question in the House of Commons from Tory MP Andrew Rosindell.
Britain cannot allow Spain to continue to ignore international law and bully Gibraltar, said MP Andrew Rosindell following the latest incursion in Gibraltar waters, this time a Spanish Customs crew that actually fired shots to a British-Gibraltarian fishing cruise.