Spain’s Brexit deal blow to May

Spanish Prime Minister is ready to thwart British PM’S hopes of a deal with the EU

SPAIN was standing between

Theresa May and a Brexit deal as it threatened to derail an EU summit today if it does not get new assurances on having a say in the future of Gibraltar.

As talks among Spanish, British and EU officials continued yesterday, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said he was ready to thwart his British counterpart May’s hopes of seeing EU leaders sign off on promises of close ties with London after Britain leaves the bloc in March if he did not get his way.

EU diplomats and officials said there was still no clear breakthrough yesterday morning, hours before some of the other leaders must set off for Brussels ahead of today’s breakfast summit – few will be happy if plans change.

Brussels diplomats and representatives of other governments across Europe said they did not believe Madrid would upset the careful choreography of today’s summitry when May and her 27 EU peers will fly in for a couple of hours in the morning.

But they also heard strong words from Spanish ministers that left them unwilling to call Sanchez’s bluff without further talks.

On a visit to Cuba, Sanchez said he had yet to receive assurances that any future decisions on Gibraltar would be decided in direct talks between London and Madrid.

“The guarantees are still not enough, and Spain maintains its veto to Brexit. If there is a deal, then it will be lifted,” he said when it was already late on Friday in Europe. “If there is no deal, the European Council will most likely not take place.”

Spain can expect its European