WE TOLD EU SO!
Gib leader warned PM May in January that Spain would use dirty tactics
MPs were warned months ago that ‘opportunistic’ Spain would use Brexit as leverage in the dispute over Gibraltar.
The Rock’s chief minister Fabian Picardo raised the danger to a cross-party committee in January.
The warning raises fresh questions about why Prime Minister Theresa May failed to reiterate the UK’s commitment to the territory in her historic letter triggering Article 50 last week.
The EU’s initial response on Friday caused fury by stating that Spain would have a veto on any new arrangements over Gibraltar.
The row caught fire over the weekend when senior Tories made clear the government was willing to defend the Rock by force if necessary.
Mrs May tried to ease tensions by stressing that she favoured ‘jaw jaw’ above ‘war war’.
Risk
But the fallout could hamper negotiations with Brussels.
In his evidence to the Brexit Committee in January, Mr Picardo said there was a ‘risk that Spain will raise the Gibraltar question in its preliminary internal discussions with the other Member States as they seek to agree a common position for the EU/UK negotiations’.
‘Indeed, the previous acting Spanish Foreign Minister has written to all the other EU capitals in order to put across his views on shared sovereignty over Gibraltar, as the price to pay for maintaining a relationship with the EU,’ Mr Picardo said.
He added: ‘Spain cannot be allowed to use her obsession with Gibraltar as a bargaining chip in the negotiations between the UK and the EU.
‘It is important to be aware that this is an unnecessary and opportunistic challenge that the negotiating process may face.’
There are reports that the government chose not to include Gibraltar in Mrs May’s letter as it was considered ‘strategically’ better for Spain to raise the issue first.
However, Downing Street has insisted the commitment to the Rock has never been in doubt.
The warning from Mr Picardo emerged as the Brexit Committee published a report criticising the PM’s approach to talks with the EU – despite many of the MPs declaring they did not agree with its findings.