Gibraltar’s British sovereignty and identity are ‘not negotiable’, Garcia tells Conservatives

Gibraltar’s British sovereignty and identity are “not negotiable”, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia told the Conservative Party conference on Sunday, as he highlighted the protections in the new UK/EU treaty and the Rock’s contribution to British and allied security.

Speaking at the annual Gibraltar Government reception at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Dr Garcia said the agreement provided greater certainty for people and businesses and a basis for stability, security and prosperity.

“This Treaty does not touch Gibraltar’s sovereignty,” Dr Garcia said.

“It does not diminish our British institutions and way of life.”

“Indeed, the actual text protects our position on sovereignty.”

Dr Garcia noted that Article 2 of the agreement provided that nothing in the treaty affects the respective legal positions of the UK and Spain on sovereignty and jurisdiction.

He added that the UK Government had also stated that the agreement safeguards British sovereignty and protects the autonomous operation of UK military facilities.

The reception was attended by the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham, the UK Shadow Minister for Europe, Wendy Morton, MPs, councillors and other guests.

Dr Garcia thanked the Conservative Party for its support over decades, both in government and opposition.

He said successive Conservative Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries had understood that Gibraltar needed a different framework from the UK because of its geographical and economic circumstances.

“For Gibraltar, the frontier is not an abstract line on a map,” Dr Garcia said.

“It is part of the daily life of our people.”

“It is the route taken by 15,000 employees on their way to work, by residents on both sides, by families visiting one another, by businesses moving goods and by millions of visitors coming to Gibraltar.”

He linked Gibraltar’s position on sovereignty to self-determination and the democratic wishes expressed by its people in the 1967 and 2002 referenda.

“Our British identity is not negotiable,” he told guests at the reception.

“It is the freely expressed choice of the people of Gibraltar.”

Dr Garcia recalled Margaret Thatcher’s statement in 1982 that the wishes of Gibraltar’s people were “paramount”, and David Cameron’s description of the defence of Gibraltar as being “in the blood” of the Conservative Party.

He also highlighted Gibraltar’s strategic position at the entrance to the Mediterranean and its role in supporting British and allied maritime security.

“We sit astride one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints,” Dr Garcia said.

“And when the Royal Navy operates in the Mediterranean and beyond, Gibraltar is home.”

He recalled Gibraltar’s support for the UK during conflict and crisis, from the Falklands to Iraq and across the Mediterranean and Middle East.

The recent crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, he said, had demonstrated how the security of narrow waterways could have consequences far beyond their geographical size.

“The world is safer with Gibraltar in British hands,” Dr Garcia said.

“And when the chips are down, Gibraltar stands with the UK.”

He concluded by thanking the Conservative Party for defending Gibraltar and supporting its people’s right to determine their own future.