UK and Gibraltar prepare for Brexit negotiations

Ministers from the British and Gibraltar governments spent two hours discussing Brexit during their first formal meeting in London yesterday under a new Joint Ministerial Council format.

The meeting followed the same structure that the British Government is using to discuss Brexit with the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, signalling its commitment to ensure Gibraltar’s position is properly represented in future negotiations with the EU.

The discussions in Whitehall came against the backdrop of a busy day of Brexit-related events that will have a bearing on Gibraltar’s future.

In the Supreme Court in London, the UK’s top judges heard a third day of submissions in the British Government’s appeal against a ruling last month that ministers cannot invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

If the Supreme Court upholds that ruling, the risk for the government is that proceedings in parliament could delay Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to trigger Article 50 by the end of March, watering down her Brexit strategy.

The case, which was brought by a number of individuals including Gibraltarian Paul Cartwright, has inflamed passions in Britain, with pro-Brexit critics saying those challenging the government through the courts were seeking to thwart the will of the people.

In a parallel development yesterday, the House of Commons debated a Labour motion calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to publish a plan before triggering the formal process of leaving.

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