Gibraltar the real problem

Sir, – Much has been said about the UK’s relationship with Ireland after Brexit, but Gibraltar seems to have fallen by the wayside.

The Gibraltar issue represents an even bigger problem for a smooth Brexit or transition deal than Northern Ireland does, and let us not forget some 96% of Gibraltarians voted to Remain in 2016.

The Irish border problem was a condition of the Brexit divorce settlement and the start of talks on post-Brexit trade. Not so with Gibraltar.

A hard Brexit would mean a hard border between Gibraltar and Spain. Almost everything Gibraltar needs relies, to an extent, on Spanish cooperation.

Placing Gibraltar outside the customs union and single market and adding onerous border controls would put it under great hardship. Also, the EU has given Spain a formal veto over Brexit if Madrid is not happy with the Gibraltar dimensions of a Brexit deal.

The obvious answer is to give Gibraltar membership of the customs union and single market by special protocol.

Other EU countries with dependencies, including some French territories in the Caribbean, have bespoke arrangements. Gibraltar could easily be treated much like other EU microstates such as Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City and Andorra.

But to get even that, Theresa May needs Spain to lift its veto and that would mean offering something to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, maybe a concession on sovereignty or governance.

So, while all eyes are on Northern Ireland, it is Gibraltar which will prove an even greater conundrum for the UK Government. Alex Orr. Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.

The Irish border problem was a condition of the Brexit divorce settlement and the start of talks on postBrexit trade. Not so with Gibraltar. A hard Brexit would mean a hard border between Gibraltar and Spain. Almost everything Gibraltar needs relies, to an extent, on Spanish cooperation