Rosindell says Reform unlikely to endorse treaty but will respect Gibraltar’s decision 

Reform UK MP Andrew Rosindell said the party is unlikely to endorse the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar but has not yet decided whether it will actively oppose the agreement during the UK ratification process, a position he will discuss with party leader Nigel Farage on his return to London. 

Mr Rosindell, who was previously a Conservative MP before joining Reform UK, acknowledged the importance of frontier fluidity to the Rock’s economy and said he respected the decision taken by the Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Parliament to support the treaty. 

But he remained deeply cautious about the agreement and its longer-term implications, arguing that Gibraltar should keep “a very close watch” on how it develops. 

“The treaty is now a reality… so we are where we are,” he told the Chronicle after the Casemates rally. 

Mr Rosindell said Gibraltar’s security and integrity should take precedence over any international agreement and called for its operation to be monitored closely, even while acknowledging the importance of the frontier fluidity delivered by the treaty. 

“I accept that Gibraltar has to have a border which is accessible to come in and out of the Rock,” he said. 

“If you don't have a system that allows free people to move freely between Spain and Gibraltar, the effects on the Gibraltar economy would be devastating.” 

But his assessment of the treaty, which he has previously described as “deeply flawed”, remained guarded. 

Mr Rosindell said he accepted assurances from the UK and Gibraltar governments that the agreement did not compromise sovereignty, jurisdiction or control. 

“I take their word for that,” he said. 

“They have analysed this.” 

“I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt.” 

But he immediately qualified that position, expressing concern about how Spain or the EU might interpret aspects of the agreement in future. 

“So I am nervous, I am cautious,” he said. 

“But I respect the decision of the people of… well, the Government of Gibraltar, because there was no referendum on this.” 

“The Government of Gibraltar and the Parliament of Gibraltar have made this decision.” 

“We can do nothing other than respect that decision, but it doesn't mean that we should not keep a very close watch on how this develops and where it eventually leads.” 

Mr Rosindell said a future Reform UK government would take a firm position on Gibraltar’s sovereignty and self-government. 

“I can tell you now, I cannot speak for the current government but if, in the future a Reform UK government is in, we will not compromise one inch, not one millimetre, of Gibraltar's self-governance, of British sovereignty, and prevent any attempt by Spain or the European Union to take any kind of control over this British Overseas Territory.” 

Pressed on whether Reform UK might object to the agreement during the ratification process in the UK Parliament, where the party has just eight MPs, Mr Rosindell said no position had yet been settled. 

“We haven't decided what our proposal will be yet,” he said. 

“My recommendation is that we have to respect the wishes of Gibraltar.” 

But he drew a distinction between respecting Gibraltar’s decision and supporting the treaty itself. 

“I personally have not expressed my support for the treaty, and I don't think Reform UK would express support for the treaty,” he said. 

Mr Rosindell argued Gibraltar should never have been left outside the original post-Brexit settlement between the UK and EU, blaming the then Conservative government for creating the circumstances that led to years of separate negotiations. 

“The Conservative Party let Gibraltar down,” he said of his former party, for which he was an MP at the time. 

“That led to all these years of your government having to negotiate what you now have, which is this new treaty.” 

“I am keeping my eyes wide open, and I advise the people of Gibraltar to do the same.” 

Mr Rosindell said Reform UK’s position on the treaty would rest with Mr Farage after the two had discussed his visit on National Day. 

“When I get back, I'm going to speak to Nigel Farage, our party leader,” he said. 

“And we will discuss how we should approach this.” 

“As I've said, I don't think we can endorse the treaty,” Mr Rosindell added. 

“Whether we actively oppose it, that is a decision that only Nigel Farage can make once I've briefed him on the whole situation here.” 

Mr Rosindell also rejected the suggestion that Brexit itself – which he supported and championed - had represented the greatest threat to Gibraltar in recent decades, arguing instead that continued political integration within the EU would have posed a greater long-term risk. 

At the same time, he accepted that the post-Brexit reality had made a workable frontier arrangement essential and that a hard border would have had severe consequences for Gibraltar. 

“I think I can see why it's important not to do anything to risk the frontier being closed, because that would devastate Gibraltar,” he said. 

“But I also think we have to guard against threats to Gibraltar's self-governance and the ultimate British sovereignty, which must be in perpetuity.” 

‘NEAR UNANIMOUS’ CROSS-PARTY SUPPORT 

Conservative MP Martin Vickers [pictured above] told the Chronicle he expected the treaty to pass through the Westminster ratification process smoothly, saying there is strong cross-party backing for the agreement and that members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gibraltar will work to prevent objections delaying it. 

Mr Vickers, who secured a Commons debate on the treaty earlier this summer, said MPs had scrutinised aspects of the agreement and there was broad support for its overall outcome. 

“I think in Westminster, on a cross-party basis, there is, I won't say unanimous, but almost unanimous support for the treaty,” he told the Chronicle. 

“Quite rightly, some people have questioned certain aspects of it. That's their role.” 

“But it's a great relief, I think, certainly for the Chief Minister and his team, who've been bogged down in endless negotiations for years now.” 

“They must be greatly relieved, and it's a great tribute to them that we've brought it to a successful conclusion.” 

Mr Vickers said he did not expect difficulties during the UK’s Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRAG) ratification process, although he acknowledged that objections could in theory prolong scrutiny. 

“No, I'm not anticipating any,” he said when asked whether he expected any glitches. 

“In theory, the CRAG process can drag on and on if people keep lodging an objection.” 

“I don't foresee that happening.” 

“And certainly I and the other members of the All-Party Group will be doing our bit to try and ensure a smooth transition.” 

Mr Vickers said the importance of an open frontier and Gibraltar’s support for the agreement were central considerations. 

And he said all MPs believed in the importance of self-determination, adding: “There's no doubt that the people of Gibraltar are fully behind this.” 

Mr Vickers said the prevailing position at Westminster remained clear. 

“The overwhelming view is support,” he said. 

“And certainly I and my colleagues will do our best to push it through…”