‘Greenland-style’ proposal works legally, Picardo says

Redefining the United Kingdom for the purpose of EU membership could enable Gibraltar, Scotland and Northern Ireland to “legally” remain in the bloc while England and Wales exit, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told a business dinner this week.

Mr Picardo was speaking at a dinner hosted by the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses on Thursday evening to an audience which included the key players from Gibraltar’s business community.

Outlining his plan to give expression to the will of the people of Gibraltar to remain in the EU, the Chief Minister said he agreed with Mariano Rajoy, the caretaker Prime Minister of Spain, who warned this week, “if the UK goes, Scotland goes too.”

He explained: “You see there doesn’t have to be a negotiation for Scotland to remain, or for Gibraltar to remain or for Northern Ireland to remain; all there needs to be is a re-definition of what the Member State United Kingdom means in the treaties.”

Instead of sending a notice under Article 50, Mr Picardo explained, Britain could send a redefinition to the EU of what Member State United Kingdom means.

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