Farage and Ukip call for Gib to become part of Britain
Nigel Farage, Britain’s leading Brexiteer has thrown his support behind Ukip’s proposals that Gibltar should be given a referendum to ask whether they want to become part of the UK. Under this proposal, Gibraltarian’s would be given their own MP and devolved powers which are currently enjoyed by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Speaking at the European Parliament's Brexit debate yesterday UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall said the Rock was not a pawn to be used in Brexit talks, and” she is not for sale”. Presenting his solution to the Gibraltar issue, Mr Nuttall said “let them become part of the UK, and give them representation in Westminster if they wish.”
Meanwhile writing in the Telegraph yesterday ahead of the European Parliament debate , Mr Farage, argued that if the people of Gibraltar were to vote to become part of Britain, it would “no longer be a pawn in the EU’s negotiations and Mr Tusk would have to scrap Clause 22 of his document”.
Mr Farage said it was wrong that the Rock had to become a pawn in the Brexit negotiations
“It makes a deal impossible,” he stated.
“The whole point of voting Brexit was to take back control of our lives and make our own decisions. None of this compares to what is being said about Gibraltar, which makes any potential deal completely and utterly impossible.”
Mr Farage added that: “Clause 22 of the Tusk memorandum said that ‘no agreement between the EU and the UK may apply to Gibraltar without the agreement of the Kingdom of Spain’. A more vindictive act is difficult to think of. In simple terms, Spain now has the ability to veto any new trade deal between the EU and the UK once the Brexit negotiations have been completed. It is worth noting that the EU is saying Brexit must be completed before a trade deal can even be discussed. Poor Gibraltar is now in an impossible situation, stuck as piggy in the middle and a bargaining chip to be used by both sides.”
Meanwhile yesterday Mr Farage was heckled and rebuked for accusing the European Parliament of "behaving like the mafia".
The former Ukip leader was told to retract his "unacceptable" remark by the parliament's president, Italian Antonio Tajani, and said that, in respect of his national sensitivities, he would instead brand them "gangsters".
But Mr Tajani responded: "There are no mafia or gangsters here. There are representatives of the people. This is nothing to do with national sensitivities, it is to do with being civil and democratic."
Mr Farage also stated that the European Council's proposal to give Spain a veto on future agreements concerning Gibraltar could be a "deal-breaker".