Gib will not cross ‘fundamental red lines’ in treaty negotiations, Garcia tells Liberal Democrats

There are fundamental red lines which the Gibraltar Government is not prepared to cross to achieve a UK/EU treaty, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia has said at the Liberal Democrats annual party conference in Brighton.

Dr Garcia told the conference that Gibraltar prefers a treaty to govern its relationship with the European Union, but stressed certain red lines would not be crossed.

The Deputy Chief Minister told a Liberal Democrat audience that the Gibraltar treaty currently under negotiation was very different to the one that the UK had concluded for itself in 2020.

“Whereas the UK sought to put up barriers, checkpoints and controls to border fluidity, Gibraltar seeks to do the very opposite,” he said.

This event marks the start of the main political conference season in the United Kingdom.

The Government of Gibraltar will again host a reception at each of the main party conferences and, in addition to this, will man an exhibition stand.

“The atmosphere was very positive and the party was obviously buoyed by its electoral showing of over 70 seats,” Dr Garcia said.

“Gibraltar has many friends in the Liberal Democrats and it was very good to renew contact with old ones and to develop relationships with the many new MPs.”

“Lord Jeremy Purvis, the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson made a very supportive contribution during the very well attended Government reception, where he declared that the future of Gibraltar is in the hands of the people of Gibraltar.”

“I must thank Dominique Searle and the team at Gibraltar House for their ongoing lobbying efforts and indeed for ensuring that everything run so smoothly once again.”

The Liberal Democrat conference commenced on Saturday and will run until Tuesday.

It will be followed by the Labour Party conference which opens in Liverpool on Sunday and will provide the opportunity to engage, at that level, with the newly elected UK Government in this forum for the first time. Meanwhile, the Conservatives are set to gather in Birmingham from 29 September until 2 October.

The Chief Minister or the Deputy Chief Minister, supported by other Ministers as necessary, will alternately address delegates at these different events, which will provide for contact with senior figures from across the Westminster political spectrum.

In Brighton, Dr Garcia participated in a discussion panel entitled ‘Small British Nations: What we want from the EU?’.

He outlined the position Gibraltar found itself in when the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

He was joined on the panel by Lord Purvis, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs spokesperson in the House of Lords, and CEO of the European Movement Sir Nick Harvey.

The meeting was chaired by Baroness Lindsay Northover.