Labour is “unequivocally committed” to protecting the British sovereignty of Gibraltar, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said during a surprise visit to the Rock. Mrs Thornberry was shown around Gibraltar International Airport and the frontier by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, on the back of a long standing promise.
The Gibraltar Government is calling on Britain’s political parties to make “clear and explicit commitments” to Gibraltar in their manifestos for the June 8 general election. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said his government would seek assurances on Gibraltar’s post-Brexit future from parties contesting the UK election.
The Gibraltar Football Association is to buy the Victoria Stadium from the Gibraltar Government, in a move that paves the way for local football teams to play international games at home and, in parallel, will trigger a £16.5m investment in new sport infrastructure around the Rock, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.
The British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, has once again reaffirmed the British position on Gibraltar. In an interview on Spanish television in – La Noche en 24 – he said “we are not going to negotiate on the sovereignty of Gibraltar without the Gibraltarian people”.
UK Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons has pledged his full support to Gibraltar. Mr Corbyn, who gave assurances on the British Sovereignty of Rock and the double lock commitment, did so in a lengthy conversation with the Rock's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo
Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated on Thursday the UK’s desire to ensure a deep and special partnership with the European Union, but as the UK exits the EU and there would be no negotiation on the sovereignty of Gibraltar without the consent of its people. Mrs. May made the statement after meeting at 10 Downing Street with the president of the European Council Donald Tusk for talks following the triggering of Article 50.
One in three people in Britain would cede at least some sovereignty over Gibraltar for a better Brexit deal according to a YouGov poll made public this week. The poll conclusions were released when Nigel Farage, Britain's leading Brexiteer expressed support for proposals to hold a referendum in Gibraltar to ask whether they want to become part of the UK.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis called on Tuesday for calm in the row over Gibraltar’s inclusion in the EU guidelines, adding that he was surprised by the reactions in Britain. He was speaking amid a media frenzy after the EU said in its guidelines that Spain must agree before any future trade deal between the UK and the EU can be extended to Gibraltar.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has insisted that Gibraltar “will not be bargained away” during the Brexit negotiations after the UK Government came under pressure to safeguard the future of the Rock. The Foreign Secretary’s intervention came after a European Union proposal to give Madrid a veto over decisions on Gibraltar’s future after the UK has left the bloc.
The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia this morning presented the Gibraltar Medallion of Honor to Congressman George Holding in the Capitol Building in Washington. The presentation took place in the Lincoln Room, once used by Abraham Lincoln to lobby members of Congress.