Brexit: May gives way over Gibraltar after Spain's 'veto' threat

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Brexit: May gives way over Gibraltar after Spain's 'veto' threat

Spanish prime minister had demanded written assurance as price of support for withdrawal agreement

Daniel Boffey in Brussels and Sam Jones in Madrid
Sat 24 Nov 2018 14.59 GMT

Theresa May has given way to Madrid’s demands over the future of Gibraltar after the Spanish prime minister threatened to “veto” the Brexit deal due to be signed off by EU leaders on Sunday.

On the eve of Sunday’s special Brexit summit, the British ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow, wrote to concede that Gibraltar would not necessarily be covered by a future trade deal with the EU.

The development gives Spain a veto over Gibraltar benefiting from a future trade and security agreement between Brussels and the British government.

The Spanish leader, Pedro Sánchez, reacted immediately, claiming the UK would now have to open talks on “joint sovereignty” of Gibraltar, over which Spain has had a claim since the military dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

Sánchez said: “Once the UK has left the EU, Gibraltar’s political, legal and even geographic relationship with the EU will go through Spain …

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/24/brexit-may-gives-way-over-gibraltar-after-spains-veto-threat

[Beakybird]

1. Wow. Talk about getting the short end of the stick.