PM May says UK will always stand by Gibraltar

[rooster59]

PM May says UK will always stand by Gibraltar

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves the BBC, after taking part in a live radio phone-in, in central London, Britain, November 23, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Saturday the United Kingdom would "always stand by Gibraltar" after Spain got enough assurances over the peninsula to unblock the European Union's Brexit deal with London.

 

"We will always negotiate on behalf of the whole UK family, including Gibraltar," May said on arriving for talks in Brussels with Donald Tusk, the chairman of EU leaders' summit that is due to approve the Brexit deal on Sunday.

 

"We have worked through the withdrawal issues for Gibraltar in a constructive and sensible way," she said.

 

"We have ensured that Gibraltar is covered by the whole agreement and by the implementation period."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-25

[DoctorG]

What are the "assurances" given to Spain that would make them drop their blocking of the BREXIT deal?

[terryw]

Reading this mornings UK news it is obvious that May will sell out Gibraltar to Spain to get a Trade Deal.

[goldenbrwn1]

Just more brexit hysteria and fear mongering.

 

https://thegibraltarmagazine.com/statement-by-the-chief-minister/

[gamini]

90% of the population voted to stay in the EU. The only reason they don't want to become part of Spain is because of the duty-free and tax haven facilities given them by the UK. 

[Ulic]

Did Spain get the line they wanted to be added, added?

[HHTel]

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

What are the "assurances" given to Spain that would make them drop their blocking of the BREXIT deal?

As has been said, Spain cannot block the deal on their own.  No single member has a veto on BREXIT.  For once it's a straight majority vote although Brussels would like a unanimous vote.

[melvinmelvin]

3 hours ago, DoctorG said:

What are the "assurances" given to Spain that would make them drop their blocking of the BREXIT deal?

 

dunno,

but the semantics of stand by can be interpreted in different ways

TM standing on Spanish soil looking into Gib is one way of standing by

 

cheeky lady this TM

[melvinmelvin]

22 minutes ago, HHTel said:

As has been said, Spain cannot block the deal on their own.  No single member has a veto on BREXIT.  For once it's a straight majority vote although Brussels would like a unanimous vote.

 

actually, they can block the whole thing

 

the top level body in EU has agreed on internal rules/MO for the handling of Brexit

a consensus is required, so Spain can block

 

but, it was sorted yesterday

 

 

 

[vogie]

Does anyone believe what T May says anymore.

[OneMoreFarang]

Somehow it must be frustrating for those people in England. First they don't get what they want because that little island Ireland, which they normally like to ignore. And now it the even smaller Gibraltar which normally nobody cares about.

Now some people realize that the UK is more than England and some steps, which England would like, are difficult to impossible for the whole UK. Have fun sorting that out!

[melvinmelvin]

18 minutes ago, vogie said:

Does anyone believe what T May says anymore.

 

she appears to serve Barnier well so I guess he has some trust in her

 

 

[Basil B]

3 hours ago, terryw said:

Reading this mornings UK news it is obvious that May will sell out Gibraltar to Spain to get a Trade Deal.

So which news paper???

[Basil B]

3 hours ago, DoctorG said:

What are the "assurances" given to Spain that would make them drop their blocking of the BREXIT deal?

The British government wrote to Tusk's European Council to say that it would not interpret its withdrawal treaty, due to be endorsed on Sunday, as meaning that a future EU-UK trade treaty would automatically apply to Gibraltar — though London's envoy to the EU said it would seek the best deal for its territory.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-25/brexit-gibraltar-breakthrough/10552314

[sawadee1947]

Very poor. All what is left from this Great Empire is a stupid Rock. Rediculous 

[Basil B]

15 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Very poor. All what is left from this Great Empire is a stupid Rock. Rediculous 

Oh man, you do seem to be a bit short sighted...

 

The fourteen British Overseas Territories are:^[4]

Flag	Arms	Name	Location	Motto	Area	Population	Capital
		Overall			1,727,570 km2	c. 250,000
		Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Cyprus, Mediterranean Sea		255 km2(98 sq mi)[5]	7,700 (Cypriots; estimate) 8,000 non-permanent (UK military personnel and their families; estimate)	Episkopi Cantonment
		Anguilla	Caribbean, North Atlantic Ocean	"Strength and Endurance"	91 km2(35.1 sq mi)[6]	13,500 (2006 estimate)[7]	The Valley
		Bermuda	North Atlantic Ocean between the Azores, the Caribbean, Cape Sable Island and Canada	"Quo fata ferunt" (Latin; "Whither the Fates carry [us]")	54 km2(20.8 sq mi)[8]	64,000 (2007 estimate)[9]	Hamilton
		British Antarctic Territory	Antarctica	"Research and discovery"	1,709,400 km2(660,000 sq mi)[6]	0 50 non-permanent in winter, over 400 in summer (research personnel)[10]	Rothera (main base)
		British Indian Ocean Territory	Indian Ocean	"In tutela nostra Limuria" (Latin; "Limuria is in our charge")	46 km2(18 sq mi)[11]	0 3,000 non-permanent (UK and US military and staff personnel; estimate)[12]	Diego Garcia (base)
		British Virgin Islands	Caribbean, North Atlantic Ocean	"Vigilate" (Latin; "Be watchful")	153 km2(59 sq mi)[13]	27,000 (2005 estimate)[13]	Road Town
		Cayman Islands	Caribbean	"He hath founded it upon the seas"	264 km2(101.9 sq mi)[14]	56,092 (2013 estimate)[14]	George Town
		Falkland Islands	South Atlantic Ocean	"Desire the right"	12,173 km2(4,700 sq mi)[8]	2,955 (2006 census)[15] 1,350 non-permanent (UK military personnel; 2012 estimate)	Stanley
		Gibraltar	Iberian Peninsula, Continental Europe	"Nulli expugnabilis hosti" (Latin; "No enemy shall expel us")	6.5 km2(2.5 sq mi)[16]	28,800 (2005 estimate)[17] 1,250 non-permanent (UK military personnel; 2012 estimate)	Gibraltar
		Montserrat	Caribbean, North Atlantic Ocean	"A people of excellence, moulded by nature, nurtured by God"	101 km2(39 sq mi)[18]	4,655 (2006 estimate)[18]	Plymouth (abandoned due to volcano—de facto capital is Brades)
		Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands	Pacific Ocean		47 km2(18 sq mi)[19]	49 (2014 estimate)[20] 6 non-permanent (2014 estimate)[21]	Adamstown
		Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, including:	South Atlantic Ocean		420 km2(162 sq mi)	5,530 (total; estimate)	Jamestown
		Saint Helena		"Loyal and Unshakeable" (Saint Helena)		4,255 (Saint Helena; 2008 census)[22]
		Ascension Island				880 (Ascension; estimate)[23] 1,000 non-permanent (Ascension; UK military personnel; estimate)[23]
		Tristan da Cunha		"Our faith is our strength" (Tristan da Cunha)		300 (Tristan da Cunha; estimate)[23] 9 non-permanent (Tristan da Cunha; weather personnel)
		South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	South Atlantic Ocean	"Leo terram propriam protegat" (Latin; "Let the lion protect his own land")	4,066 km2(1,570 sq mi)[24]	0 99 non-permanent (officials and research personnel)[25]	King Edward Point
		Turks and Caicos Islands	Lucayan Archipelago, North Atlantic Ocean		430 km2(166 sq mi)[26]	32,000 (2006 census)[26]	Cockburn Town

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Overseas_Territories

 

[melvinmelvin]

21 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Very poor. All what is left from this Great Empire is a stupid Rock. Rediculous 

2 rocks

you still have Rock All

 

[meinphuket]

Take the 'great' out of Britain, as she is a spent force. Scotland will eventually secede, and so may Wales....All Spain needs to do is blockade Gib, most of the EU will support it, and hey presto !

[melvinmelvin]

you  should read the gibraltartimes

 

the chief minister in gib is 100% happy with the deal and the political declaration

 

 

[Basil B]

8 minutes ago, meinphuket said:

Take the 'great' out of Britain, as she is a spent force. Scotland will eventually secede, and so may Wales....All Spain needs to do is blockade Gib, most of the EU will support it, and hey presto !

Spain has already tried that on numerous occasions... 

[Presto]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Somehow it must be frustrating for those people in England. First they don't get what they want because that little island Ireland, which they normally like to ignore. And now it the even smaller Gibraltar which normally nobody cares about.

Now some people realize that the UK is more than England and some steps, which England would like, are difficult to impossible for the whole UK. Have fun sorting that out!

Exactly. Farage and his corrupt friends have got the Brits in a real mess. Indeed, have fun getting out of that mess. So far, it's more like a soap of a bunch of incompetents.

[HHTel]

2 hours ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

actually, they can block the whole thing

 

the top level body in EU has agreed on internal rules/MO for the handling of Brexit

a consensus is required, so Spain can block

 

but, it was sorted yesterday

 

 

 

Technically, they can't.  But in reality, they want a unanimous vote so Spain voting against it would sway the decision.

[melvinmelvin]

14 minutes ago, HHTel said:

Technically, they can't.  But in reality, they want a unanimous vote so Spain voting against it would sway the decision.

technically they can, absolutely

 

today's meeting of EU heads of states is not a formal decision making meeting

its a meeting where EU heads of states can give their political nod to proceed or shake to not proceed

 

the heads of states body has long time ago agreed/adopted their own internal working rules/MO for Brexit, ie consensus

that has been agreed long time ago

 

next is UK parliament - formal decision making

if deal survives

next EU parliament - formal decision making

then EU may sign   and EEA/UK may ratify

 

 

[Basil B]

Also Gibraltar has a way of hitting back, many years ago I was doing some commissioning work in Gibraltar and to save on costs I stayed in La Linea just the other side of the border, one night I was just walking along the prom when I notice a glow of a cigarette out sea, could not see anything, a few minutes later heard a boat engine start up then this blacked out speed boat beaches about ten persons run up the beach with suitcases, II's I thought but then half way up the beach they drop them and run back to the boats, others came running out of a side street across the beach road and down the beach to pickup the suitcases and run back to where they had come from.

In the meantime other boats were doing the same thing and then other boats with blue flashing lights and search lights were now chasing these boats which I assumed came from Morocco, a few days later I was walking along the quayside in Gib when I noticed quit a few blacked out speedboats with some battle scars, so probably not Morocco.

[HHTel]

5 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

technically they can, absolutely

Quote

Spain does not have a veto on the Brexit deal, but the 26 other EU member states would not want to adopt the withdrawal agreement and political declaration, published on Thursday, without Madrid’s support.

I repeat "Technically they can't"  However I also said that in reality, as in the above quote, their vote is important to give a unanimous decision.

 

There are plenty of sources that back that up including EU lawyers etc.  Anyway it's all pretty academic. 

[melvinmelvin]

6 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Also Gibraltar has a way of hitting back, many years ago I was doing some commissioning work in Gibraltar and to save on costs I stayed in La Linea just the other side of the border, one night I was just walking along the prom when I notice a glow of a cigarette out sea, could not see anything, a few minutes later heard a boat engine start up then this blacked out speed boat beaches about ten persons run up the beach with suitcases, II's I thought but then half way up the beach they drop them and run back to the boats, others came running out of a side street across the beach road and down the beach to pickup the suitcases and run back to where they had come from.

In the meantime other boats were doing the same thing and then other boats with blue flashing lights and search lights were now chasing these boats which I assumed came from Morocco, a few days later I was walking along the quayside in Gib when I noticed quit a few blacked out speedboats with some battle scars, so probably not Morocco.

 

you may experience scenarios like that in Marseille as well

 

[Tailwagsdog]

Spain has 2 enclaves on the Coast of Morocco, Cueta & Mellila, that Spain won't give back to Morocco. So its a bit hypocritical of the Spaniards don't you think?

[melvinmelvin]

1 minute ago, HHTel said:

I repeat "Technically they can't"  However I also said that in reality, as in the above quote, their vote is important to give a unanimous decision.

 

There are plenty of sources that back that up including EU lawyers etc.  Anyway it's all pretty academic. 

 

my view, you are not up to speed on this

 

today's meeting is not a formal decision making meeting

 

blablabla , no point in continuing, you quite simply don't have the insight

 

 

[Basil B]

1 minute ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

my view, you are not up to speed on this

 

today's meeting is not a formal decision making meeting

 

blablabla , no point in continuing, you quite simply don't have the insight

 

 

Too right...

Basically just the skeleton, all we have decided is how many legs, arms and heads this agreement will have, now we need to put in some internal organs, some meat on the bones, and then probably some fat, then decide whether it will have hair or feathers...

[HHTel]

I really am up to speed on this.  I understand what you say but I was quoting the rules, not the note of 'solidarity' from Juncker.

 

Published yesterday:

 

Quote

Spain does not have a formal veto over the 585-page withdrawal agreement and the 26-page joint declaration by the leaders, but the EU would have been unlikely to go ahead with the summit without Madrid’s support.

The prime minister had promised in the House of Commons and on the steps of Downing Street that she would work for the entire “UK family”, including Gibraltar – a disputed territory.

Spain has always insisted that Gibraltar could only be covered by any agreements struck between the EU and the UK with Madrid’s consent.

A bilateral agreement on tax evasion, police cooperation and tobacco smuggling had persuaded Spain that Gibraltar could be covered by the 21-month transition period after Brexit, during which the UK would stay in the single market and customs union without representation in EU decision-making institutions.

Spain was furious when an article in the withdrawal agreement appeared to suggest that any future trade deal would cover Gibraltar. Downing Street was accused of “acting under the cover of darkness” in inserting the clause.

The letter from the British ambassador to the European council laid down Downing Street’s understanding that article 184 in the withdrawal agreement “imposes no obligations regarding the territorial scope” of a future trade deal.

A separate letter made public on Saturday, from Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, and Tusk, said the two EU leaders wanted to “underline our solidarity with the Kingdom of Spain on this matter”.