Gib treaty is ‘last piece of Brexit jigsaw’

A UK/EU treaty for Gibraltar is “the last piece of the EU Brexit jigsaw” but negotiations have proved “technically and politically complex”, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said this week.

Mr Lammy made the comments in a letter co-signed with Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Minister for the Cabinet and EU relations, to Labour MP Emily Thornberry, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons.

In the letter, the two ministers insisted negotiating parties agreed on the importance of delivering a deal “as soon as possible” to “bring certainty and secure future prosperity” for the Rock and the Campo.

Ms Thornberry had written to both ministers seeking details on the UK Government’s approach to the EU and the Gibraltar negotiation.

“A failure to reach an agreement would have a significant impact on Gibraltarians, and could also affect the Government’s wider EU agenda and relations with Spain,” she said.

In their response, Mr Lammy and Mr Thomas-Symonds explained how the UK Government will approach its “reset” of post-Brexit relation with the EU, which will be led by a new team in the Cabinet Office to ensure coordination across all ministries.

Around 50 members of staff moved from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to the Cabinet Office on November 6.

These officials joined the existing EU National Security Secretariat and Windsor Framework teams to form the new European Union Relations Secretariat in the Cabinet Office.

The team will be led by a new Second Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office responsible for European Union and International Economic Affairs.

It will be the principal adviser to the Prime Minister and the Minister for European Union Relations.

“Turning to Gibraltar, the territory’s relationship with the EU remains the last piece of the EU exit jigsaw,” Mr Lammy and Mr Thomas-Symonds said in the letter.

“Gibraltar was not covered by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and has therefore been without a legal framework governing its relationship with the EU since January 2021.”

“The Government continues to work side by side with the Government of Gibraltar to conclude a Treaty and will only agree to terms that the Government of Gibraltar is content with.”

“This is part of our commitment to the double lock – that we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State, against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.”

“And we will never enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.”

“All parties involved in the negotiations agree on the importance of concluding a Treaty as soon as possible to bring certainty and secure future prosperity for the people of Gibraltar and the wider region.”

“Negotiations have been technically and politically complex.”

“We are looking to agree mobility and goods and customs arrangements that would ensure people, including the frontier workers who comprise half of Gibraltar’s workforce, can move easily between Spain and Gibraltar whilst safeguarding Gibraltar’s sovereignty and fully protecting the autonomy of the UK’s military facilities in Gibraltar.”

“The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories keep in regular contact with their negotiating partners.”

Mr Lammy and Mr Thomas-Symonds said the “priority” was to conclude a treaty “as soon as possible”.

But they noted too that it was “prudent” to continue working closely with the Gibraltar Government on contingency planning in the event a deal could not be agreed.

“The Government stands resolutely behind Gibraltar in all circumstances,” the added in the letter.

“The UK has supported efforts to increase resilience in the event of NNO and the Government will work with the Government of Gibraltar to address any further needs which arise.”

On Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee and was quizzed on a broad range of current issues, including Britain’s relations with the EU.

Mr Lammy said the UK Government was already working to strengthen relations both with the bloc and bilaterally on key issues including security.

He said that under the last Conservative government, the UK’s relations with Europe “felt pretty thin” and that it was “essential to fix that”.

Mr Lammy spoke of ongoing work to “mend” relationships with countries including Ireland, Germany and France, and mentioned the Gibraltar treaty briefly too.

“There are tricky issues that I hope that we'll be able to get past, like the Gibraltar issue with the Spanish, for example, where I'm picking up the discussions that David Cameron was entering into and hoping that we can, you know, solve those problems with Spain, but by being absolutely clear about the importance of Gibraltar's sovereignty,” he said.