WTO would quickly force EU to table

THE row that erupted earlier this month between the UK and the EU – no, not Brexit – on Gibraltar underlined the problems that lie ahead in any negotiations over trade that will occur with or without a Brexit deal.

Much to the disgust of the British side, Brussels would not remove a line which referred to the Rock as being a “Colony of the British Crown”.

This was in relation to a visa-free, but not fee-free, travel agreement after March 29 and was at the insistence of Spain. Our Government is furious and so are the Gibraltarians, but both are powerless at the moment to see the offending words removed.

This spat underlines forecasts by Eurosceptics that there are going to be major problems in negotiating trade deals with Europe in the future, with or without Brexit.

This is because the Spanish Government has made it very clear that unless the matter of Gibraltar is sorted out to their satisfaction, they will veto any agreement.

The minimum that they will consider is joint sovereignty, and that would be totally unacceptable to those that live on the Rock, nor to the British Government.

Spain’s threat to wreck any trade deal that the UK endeavours to negotiate should not be taken lightly, for they now feel that they have got stronger support from Brussels and fully intend to maximise their position.

Observers of the European political scene are well aware that assuming a Brexit deal is somehow contrived by fudge, the trade deals to follow will be massively difficult and very lengthy, with many of the other 27 members of the club having their own axes to grind.

This is why the British Government would be much better off under WTO rules. Yes, there would be difficulties, but there would also be problems with Brussels should a deal finally be agreed.

With WTO we would have much more freedom and flexibility, and I am sure that Europe would quickly come to the table.

Russell Luckock is chairman of Birmingham pressings firm

AE Harris