Treaty is about ‘building a future, not rewriting the past’

The future UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar is about “people and prosperity, not sovereignty”, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told a reception on Monday night, adding: “It is about building a future. It is not about rewriting the past.”

Mr Picardo was addressing guests including diplomats, MPs, UK Government officials and business representatives during a reception at the top of London’s iconic Gherkin building, part of the Gibraltar Day events this week.

Also present were the Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, and several of his predecessors in the post, including Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, Lt Gen Ed Davis, Lt Gen Sir Robert Fulton, Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, and Sir David Durie.

While other events this week aim to on showcase opportunities in Gibraltar’s business and financial services sectors, Monday night was focused on the agreement for a treaty that will recast Gibraltar’s relationship with the EU, including Spain.

Mr Picardo was speaking alongside Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK Government’s Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whose responsibilities also include relations with the European Union.

The treaty, Mr Picardo said, reflected “principled diplomacy”.

“Most importantly, it demonstrates the unwavering commitment to the people of Gibraltar of the British Government,” he said.

“It removes the threat of a hard border, ensuring fluid movement for the thousands who cross daily between Gibraltar and Spain.”

“It is a framework that, in equal measure, secures our future, protects our sovereignty, delivers our wishes and affirms our identity.”

Mr Picardo told guests at the reception that the treaty was a confirmation of Gibraltar’s constitutional position as “exclusively British”.

In a message clearly designed to resonate beyond the Gherkin, he said nothing in the treaty would alter or diminish the Rock’s British sovereignty or represent any concession in that respect.

“To those who whisper that this treaty might dilute our claim, I say this: read the text when it is published to see how wrong you are,” he said.

“To those who suggest ambiguity, I say, there is none.”

“To those who hope for erosion, I say, our Rock does not erode.”

“Our exclusively British sovereignty remains unchanged, unshaken and unshakeable.”

“The treaty is about people and prosperity, not sovereignty. It is about building a future. It is not about rewriting the past.”

Mr Picardo said the treaty was “built not on patriotic sentiment, but on patriotic substance”, reflecting the maturity of Gibraltar’s institutions and the resilience of its people, as well as the “depth and strength” of the relationship with the UK.

That relationship was underlined by Mr Thomas-Symonds in his address to the reception.

Mr Thomas-Symonds reflected on the reset of UK/EU relations following the summit in London last May, adding the UK was “rebuilding trust with our European partners”, reducing barriers to trade and restoring cooperation in critical areas such as security and defence.

He described the June 11 political agreement for a UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar as “a truly historic milestone” that would secure fluid movement for people and a stable legal framework for cross-border business, while protecting British sovereignty.

“Our teams are working very, very hard together to finalise the text of the treaty, ensuing the people and businesses of Gibraltar have the certainty and stability they deserve,” he told guests at the reception.

And in the clearest terms, Mr Thomas Symonds reaffirmed the UK’s “unwavering” double-lock sovereignty commitment to the Gibraltarians.

Mr Thomas Symonds said Gibraltar was “a jurisdiction that takes regulation seriously” and that this underpinned the UK’s confidence in the Rock and its decision to agree market access for companies based there.

The UK and Gibraltar, he said, were “dynamic partners committed to innovation, investment and opportunities”.