And here’s our secret weapon: Miss World battling for The Rock
the issue of sovereignty. The Miss World contest may have faded in the British consciousness. It’s years since primetime telly would screen the annual crop of ‘lovelies’ as they paraded in swimsuits and trotted out the same old platitudes about wanting to ‘travel, work with children and bring world peace’.
But Miss World is still a huge global phenomenon, watched by up to 1billion people. And when Kaiane came home with the crown in 2009, almost the entire 30,000strong population turned out to give her a ticker-tape parade.
They couldn’t have given two hoots whether feminists had condemned Miss World as patronising, sexist, dated twaddle. It was the first time Gibraltar had beaten the whole world. Locals here still rank it alongside the two other red letter days in its modern history — the visit of the Queen in 1954, and the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981 (their honeymoon cruise on the Royal Yacht set sail from here).
And everyone is acutely aware that, if Madrid should ever win its 300-year battle to absorb Gibraltar into Spain, that would be the end of Miss Gibraltar becoming Miss World. But I think we are going to hear a lot more about this particular young lady — who, at 30, also happens to be the youngest mayor in Gibraltar’s history.
She got off to a flying start yesterday, announcing the mayoralty’s first website and Twitter account (Gibraltar is a little behind the curve in a few regards). Echoing the Churchillian sentiments, she pledged to serve ‘the people of Gibraltar as a community, a nation and together as a family’.
HER whole family were there: husband Aaron, a marine surveyor, oneyear-old daughter Kalia, and her parents, Randal and Elke. ‘British? We are 300 per cent British,’ said Randal, 50, who works for the Ministry of Defence. Lopez’s grandmother, Sonia Czasch, went even further. ‘I might be married to an Austrian, but I am British through and through and I will fight to the end to stay like that.’
Afterwards, as the naval corvette Infanta Cristina was still stirring things up out in the bay, I asked the new mayor what she thought about the Spanish. ‘I prefer to leave the politics to the politicians,’ she said, in her best diplomatic voice. ‘We all enjoy Spain so much and we all enjoy them coming here. We have the best of both worlds.’
So what if there was a Spanish flag rather the Union flag at City Hall? She looked stunned. ‘I’m British. I couldn’t possibly imagine changing my roots.’
Later, I sat down with Chief Minister Picardo, who was happy to go a great deal further. ‘People regard this European statement as a real slap in the face,’ he said. ‘Spain is behaving perniciously. She is trying to steal a march by having this double veto.’
What really irks him is Spain’s strategy to ensure a solid trade deal with the UK — with whom it has a £5billion trade surplus — and then have a separate one to clobber Gibraltar.
And he is not about to panic just because the Spanish have sent a warship. ‘They reserve that for special occasions,’ he laughed, pointing out it was Spain who refuelled the Russian fleet on its way to bomb Syria.
‘The UK and the U.S. are the only reliable partners the world wants to see controlling the Straits of Gibraltar.’
What about the remarks by former Tory leader Lord (Michael) Howard, comparing this dispute to the Falklands War? In Britain, Labour and the Lib Dems have had an attack of the vapours — accusing him of war-mongering — while Madrid has issued stern demands for Britain to ‘calm down’.
Mr Picardo was rather amused, though irritated by the hypocrisy of it all. ‘I’m surprised that people jumped out of their shorts at the thought a retired minister is able to declare war.
‘Every day, I hear retired politicians, ambassadors and military people in Spain saying they are going to cut off the frontier, cut off our water and electricity,’ he said with a shrug, adding that these Spanish armchair warriors are not terribly well-informed, as Gibraltar is entirely self-sufficient in power and water. ‘Spain spends most of her time kicking us in the shins. Then, when there is a passionate reaction in the UK, she says: “Keep calm”.’ He pointed out the serial pettiness of Spain with its latest act of sporting spite — vetoing Gibraltar’s application to enter the next World Cup.
So, what next? Mr Picardo says he is ‘confident in the extreme’ that Theresa May will fight Gibraltar’s corner in Brussels. But he will still be watching closely ‘with a cynical eye’ to ensure that the UK stays that way.
‘This now has to be the first item on the agenda when ministers sit down and start negotiating.’
Once a staunch European, he is looking forward to a few changes in his office. Pointing to the European flag alongside those of the UK and Gibraltar, he says he has already decided what will take its place on March 29, 2019, when Brexit is a reality. ‘That European flag is going — and we’ll have the Commonwealth one in its place.’