CM says Gib ‘will not blink’ under pressure

Gibraltar “will not blink” under pressure when it comes to sovereignty, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said in a message ahead of National Day.

Mr Picardo did not explicitly refer to the treaty negotiation in the message, but the context was clear, as was the warning that Gibraltarians may have to “buckle in” for the challenges ahead.

“Anyone who has the slightest bit of knowledge about the Gibraltarian psyche will understand that gunboats and queues will never change our position,” the Chief Minister said.

“The question of sovereignty is paramount, the symbols, ingredients and attributes of sovereignty matter too.”

“This is a line that your Government is not prepared to cross come what may.”

“That is the repeated electoral mandate we have received from the people of Gibraltar.”

“We will go forward together with the United Kingdom, whose decision to leave the European Union created this predicament, and we will cherish new friends in other countries too.”

Mr Picardo’s message came just two days after he met Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London to discuss the treaty negotiation, which continues at a technical level.

After the meeting Mr Picardo signalled progress in some areas, but deadlock in others.

The issues of contention include Spain’s demand that armed uniformed Spanish police officers be present for immigration controls inside Gibraltar and free to move between the airport and the port.

Both the UK and Gibraltar have rejected that proposition, pointing instead to the New Year’s Eve framework agreement of 2020 which envisaged a joint facility spanning both sides of the border, alongside the assistance of Frontex officers at least during the first four years of any agreement.

In his message, Mr Picardo said Gibraltarians would stand firm in the face of Spanish pressure, just as previous generations had done.

But he warned too that challenges may lie ahead in the absence of a deal.

“Let me now be clear: the time may soon come when we all have to buckle in for a different kind of ride,” he said.

“A ride with more turns and bumps than we may be accustomed to.”

“We will have taken that road because we will not, as we never have, bow to threats, or pressure or harassment.”

Read the Chief Minister’s full message.