David Hannay is a member of the House of Lords and former UK ambassador to the EU and UN.
Last night’s debate in the House of Lords on the implications of Brexit for Gibraltar brought no surprises; and not the slightest indication of how the government plans to mitigate the potentially pretty damaging consequences for Gibraltar flowing from the UK’s exit and its decision to walk away too from the Single Market, which underpins Gibraltar’s successful economy. Just a lot of wishful thinking and the usual “it will be alright on the night” talk.
Gibraltar’s status within the EU for the last 40 years has been as near to a “goldilocks” situation as you could get – outside the customs union, spared the need to introduce VAT, inside the world’s largest single market and with its disputed border with Spain kept open by EU law. No wonder 96% of Gibraltarians voted to Remain in last June’s referendum.
More surprisingly, perhaps, was the fact that many of Gibraltar’s most vociferous supporters in Parliament were out there campaigning for Leave. Either they did not know what they were doing when they threw Gibraltar under the wheels of that infamous battle bus; or they did know, in which case their disloyalty is truly shameful.
Because the risks to Gibraltar from the Brexit negotiations are real – as this House of Lords report makes clear. It cannot remain within the EU because it is umbilically (and democratically) linked to the UK. Its border with Spain will become an external frontier of the EU which means that EU law will not apply to those crossing it in the same way as before. If Britain leaves without a deal, then so too will Gibraltar. And every detail of any deal that is negotiated will have to be agreed by Spain.
As the unintended consequences of Brexit unfold, the fate of Gibraltar’s economy will probably not trouble the sleep of many British voters. But it should do. They broke it; and now we, all of us, own it.
Want more InFacts?
Click here to get the newsletter
Edited by Hugo Dixon
It seems that the hard-line Brexiteers don’t care what Treaties or Agreements they break or how many nations or people they unnecessarily hurt, they are only interested in their own selfish, self-centred pipe dreams of turning the clock back half a century or more.
Absolutely agreed. The situation of Gibraltar is just one more example of the lack of foresight of the UK government and their radical ” Brexit means Brexit ” policy. It still belies belief that this government can be allowed to continue with this policy which is going to encounter insuperable difficulties in all areas of the life of the country with the consent of Parliament, not to speak of the tremendous financial costs involved ” in taking back control “.
Gibraltar, Malter, Northen Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Ilse of Man, Falklands, and goodness knows how many more, all existed before the creation of the European Union, all participated in the common market, all part of NATO, all had a certain amount of self government, like Scotland and Wales lived quite happily within Great Britain, by choice. Why is it that cannot continue, their choice always worked before, who decides what will continue the people of course, so leave it to the people, Oh I forgot they did, umpteen times, just accept it, it’s called Democracy it works.
Malta is no longer in the UK. It is in the EU. The single market evolved from the common market, and that has been thrown under the bus by Mrs May.
Gibraltar threw itself under the bus, by making it quite clear it wished to remain in the EU, and voted accordingly, They have the chance of leaving the protection of the UK, but seem to have declined, I wonder why ?
eventually they could feel more inclined to be protected by Spain and other EU countries