Gibraltar willing to ‘pay any price’ of Brexit to remain part of the UK and escape Spain’s clutches, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo says
The Chief Minister said the Rock expected a 'bright and exclusively British' future and offers to remain in the EU via Spain were 'predatory'
GIBRALTAR will “meet any hardship” of Brexit to escape the clutches of “predatory” Spain – the Rock’s chief minister declared.
Fabian Picardo told MPs there was no chance he would accept a joint sovereignty deal between the UK and Spain as a way to stay in the EU.
And he said it was a good that Theresa May had said she was leaving the single market as it denied leverage to Spain in the Brexit negotiations.
Speaking before a cross-party Commons Committee, Mr Picardo said: “We are not looking to remain in the EU by being partly Spanish.
“The only way someone could describe the offer as generous would be to say it’s the generosity of the predator who think its prey is finally prone.
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“Neither the people of the UK or the people of Gibraltar are a prey that is on its knees seeking any generous offer from the people of Spain.”
Echoing J.F Kennedy’s Cold War speech he added: “Gibraltar will pay any price, bear any burden and meet any hardship in the context of ensuring we have a future that is bright and exclusively British post-Brexit.”