High expectation as Foreign Secretary visits Gib ahead of Brussels treaty meeting, negotiations ongoing

Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived on the Rock late on Tuesday night ahead of high-level talks in Brussels this afternoon, fuelling mounting expectation of a breakthrough in the prolonged negotiation for a UK/EU post-Brexit treaty on Gibraltar.

Mr Lammy, accompanied by Europe Minister Stephen Doughty, arrived on a UK Government passenger plane used to ferry UK Royals and ministers on official business, adorned with a union flag on its tailfin.

But while expectations are high, the negotiation is not yet complete.

A Foreign Office source told the PA news agency: “We’re working to secure an agreement that works for the people and businesses in Gibraltar.”

“An agreement that will protect British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar’s economy and allows businesses to plan for the future.”

Officials close to the talks said there were still “hard negotiations ahead”.

On Wednesday morning, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo held a Cabinet meeting with Mr Lammy and Mr Doughty to agree the final parameters for the negotiation of Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union.

“It's time to try to finalise arrangements for lasting, stable relationship between Gibraltar and the EU/Spain which is safe, secure and beneficial and which protects our people and gives certainty to frontier workers with a view to delivering more prosperity for all in our part of the world,” Mr Picardo said.

Mr Lammy and Mr Doughty also met with the Opposition and with business and labour representatives, hearing directly from them about their hopes and concerns about Gibraltar’s relationship with the EU after Brexit.

This afternoon, the UK and Gibraltar delegation will meet with European Commission trade commissioner and chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic and Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares.

They flew to Brussels from Gibraltar on the same UK plane that brought the Foreign Secretary to the Rock.

The first confirmation of today's meeting came from the Spanish Government’s daily ministerial schedule.

The last high-level meeting in Brussels was in September 2024, just two months after Labour won the UK general election.

This will be the fourth such meeting since April last year.

On each occasion, negotiators signalled progress in the talks but no breakthrough in a negotiation described by all sides as very complex.

Neither the Brussels meeting nor Mr Lammy’s visit were announced ahead of his arrival at around midnight on Tuesday night.

It was confirmed at 5am in a one-line comment from the FCDO to Sky News.

“The foreign secretary is in Gibraltar to meet Chief Minister Fabian Picardo to discuss the latest on negotiations, as all sides look to conclude an agreement as soon as possible,” an FCDO spokesperson told the broadcaster.