Margallo ‘has lost grip on reality’ – GSD

The continued attempts by Spain’s acting Foreign Minister, José Manuel García Margallo, to link a UK Brexit deal with the sharing of Gibraltar’s sovereignty show that he has “lost all grasp of reality”, the GSD said yesterday.

The GSD was reacting to comments made by Spain’s acting foreign minister, specifically that Spain will brief other EU members on its joint sovereignty proposal for Gibraltar within “two or three days”.

In a statement the Opposition said that whether Gibraltar is left in or out of a single market deal, it will never accept joint sovereignty.

“This is our homeland and it is not for sale at any price,” the GSD said, adding that the Rock will not cave into pressure from Sr García-Margallo or anyone else.

“Over its long history Gibraltar has seen the back of many others, who like Sr García-Margallo felt they could bully our fellow countrymen.”

“It failed then and it will fail again,” the Opposition added.

Nonetheless, the GSD believes that Sr García-Margallo’s comments highlight the need to have a strategy in place to ensure that Gibraltar is not left out of any single market deal negotiated by the UK.

“How we are to deal with a situation where Sr García-Margallo succeeds in persuading sufficient EU partners to leave Gibraltar out?” the Opposition asked.

The GSD said it is working hard to ensure it can help devise such a strategy in order to ensure the people of Gibraltar are kept safe and their way of life is preserved.