Gibraltar chief Fabian Picardo says residents will not become victims of Brexit and rock will remain British
He tells residents UK has given 'cast-iron assurances' their future will be part of Brexit talks
GIBRALTAR chief Fabian Picardo declared the Rock will never change its mind on British sovereignty as he promised his residents they will not become the “victims of Brexit”.
The chief minister pledged to make sure Gibraltar was included in Brexit talks with the EU as he branded himself the “backbone of this negotiation for Gibraltar”.
And he defiantly added: “The backbone is made of limestone rock - it’s not going to be easy to buckle on that.
“We can have the War of the Summer, the War of the Autumn or the War of the Winter if you like on that, Gibraltar is not going to change its position.”
Mr Picardo said Brexit Secretary David Davis had given him “cast-iron assurances” that Gibraltar will not be excluded to secure a better post-Brexit trade deal.
But Mr Picardo warned it would be “failure” by the UK negotiating team if the EU and Spain succeed in having Gibraltar removed from any deal.
Asked if he was worried the British Government could “effectively sell you down the river” in pursuit of a better Brexit trade agreement, Mr Picardo told the Sky News programme: “We’ve seen it before.
“We saw it in 1987 in relation to the exclusion of Gibraltar’s airport from the Open Skies agreements that were done in those days, air liberalisation as it was known.
“But I’ve had cast-iron assurances from David Davis, the secretary of state, I’ve no reason to doubt, he told me about not doing a trade deal if it didn’t include Gibraltar - if it was relevant to Gibraltar - will be the case going forward.
“This is a fluid moment, it’s a moment of aspiration when we try and do the best possible deal for the whole of the United Kingdom, including Gibraltar, and success will mean Gibraltar is included in those trade arrangements where they are relevant.
“If we are not included because Spain, and therefore the EU, have managed to exclude us, then that will mean failure on the part of the British negotiating team, and I bet on success not on failure.”
Spain has a long-standing territorial claim on Gibraltar, which has been held by the UK since 1713 and has the status of a British overseas territory.
