London: King Felipe of Spain has called on the British government to work towards a new agreement over the future of Gibraltar, and demanded greater certainty over the future rights of Spanish citizens living in the UK after Brexit.
Addressing peers and MPs in the House of Lords as part of his state visit to the UK, King Felipe VI said there while there had “been estrangements, rivalries and disputes” in the countries’ history, those were now relegated to the past.
“I am certain that this resolve to overcome our differences will be even greater in the case of Gibraltar and I am confident that through the necessary dialogue and effort our two governments will be able to work towards arrangements that are acceptable to all involved.”
Some Conservative MPs are concerned that the fate of Gibraltar could be in fresh doubt as the UK negotiates its exit from the European Union.
The European commission’s negotiating guidelines appear to give Spain a veto over future trading arrangements involving the territory, saying that once the UK leaves the EU, “no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom”.
Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell had earlier raised the issue during prime minister’s questions. He welcomed the fact that Gibraltar’s flag was among those being flown outside parliament for the King’s visit; and asked Damian Green, first secretary of state, standing in for Theresa May, to ask her to, “remind the King of Spain that Gibraltar is British and that its sovereignty will remain paramount”.
Green said the government’s position was that the primacy of the wishes of Gibraltararians, “which are overwhelmingly to stay British”, will be respected. The Spanish monarch, who was due to attend a state banquet with the Queen last night, also urged the UK to reach an agreement as soon as possible about what rights will be retained after Brexit by Spaniards living in the UK, and Britons in Spain.
“These citizens have a legitimate expectation of decent and stable living conditions for themselves and for their families,” he said. “I therefore urge our two governments to continue working to ensure that the agreement on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU provides sufficient assurance and certainty.”
The chief minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, said King Felipe’s comments suggested he was treating the British territory as one that could be “traded from one monarch to another” like a “pawn in a chess game” and urged him to understand that Gibraltar “will remain 100% British”.
May later hailed the “deep and solid” ties between Britain and Spain and insisted the two nations would maintain the “closest possible relationship” after Brexit. As she hosted the Spanish monarch at No 10, May paid tribute to Spanish banker Ignacio Echeverria, who died trying to save a woman from an attacker in the London Bridge terror attack.
On the two countries’ relationship, the prime minister said: “Today, we work closely together in a range of areas to ensure the security and prosperity of our people, including through our military and law enforcement cooperation to fight international terrorism, our academic collaboration on science and innovation, and our growing trade and investment ties.
“Indeed, the sheer scale of Spanish investment in Britain demonstrates Spain’s continued confidence in the strength of the UK economy, and shows that we can and will maintain the closest possible relationship.”
It came as Spanish manufacturer CAF announced plans to start building trains and trams at a new factory in Newport, south Wales, with GBP30m investment leading to 300 new jobs.
Earlier on Wednesday, the ornate Royal Gallery of the House of Lords was packed for the King’s speech, with the prime minister sitting in the front row, alongside Jeremy Corbyn, who was accompanied by his wife, Laura Alvarez.
The king expressed regret about Britain’s decision to leave the EU, saying: “Until the present, the UK and Spain have both been partners in the project of European integration, which has brought considerable stability and prosperity to the region.”
“Although this decision may sadden us, and indeed does, we fully respect it.”
After the EU’s negotiating guidelines appeared to give Spain a stake in the future of “the rock”, the former Tory leader Lord Howard went so far as to hint that Britain could even consider military action to defend the disputed territory. Howard told Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News: “Thirty-five years ago this week, another woman prime minister sent a task force halfway across the world to defend the freedom of another small group of British people against another Spanish-speaking country, and I’m absolutely certain that our current prime minister will show the same resolve in standing by the people of Gibraltar.”
