Theresa May 'would go to war' to defend the sovereignty of Gibraltar

[truthseeker2010]

Spain has abandoned plans to stop an independent Scotland from joining the EU amid an escalating row with Britain over the future of 
Gibraltar.

Alfonso Dastis, the Spanish foreign minister, said his Government will not block a future Scottish EU membership bid, giving a boost to Nicola Sturgeon.

It came as Sir Michael 
Fallon, the Defence Secretary, suggetsed that Britain is ready to go to war to defend the sovereignty of Gibraltar. He vowed to go “all the way” to protect the territory.

Michael Fallon on the BBC's Andrew Marr show
Sir Michael said that Britain was going to “look after” Gibraltar, adding that the people of the peninsula had made it “very clear” that they did not want to live under Spanish rule.

Lord Howard, the former Tory leader, has said that Theresa May would go to war to defend Gibraltar’s sovereignty. He said that Theresa May would show the “same resolve” over Gibraltar as Margaret Thatcher did over the Falklands.

And the Prime Minister told 
Fabian Picardo, the chief minister of Gibraltar, that Britain would not allow Spain to seize the Rock against its will.

An aerial view of Gibraltar Credit: Matt Morton/PA
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister said we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, nor will we ever enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.”

The row erupted after the European Union put the future of Gibraltar at stake in Brexit negotiations by effectively backing Spain in its long-running dispute with the UK over the British Overseas Territory.


The EU’s draft Brexit negotiating guidelines appear to hand Spain an effective veto over whether an eventual deal will apply to Gibraltar. The move prompted fury in the UK, where ministers described the move as “utterly unacceptable”.

British soldiers advancing across East Falkland island for the final attack on Port Stanley during the Falklands War, June 1982 Credit: Hulton Archive
Mr Picardo accused Spain of trying to “manipulate” Brexit negotiations in a bid to make a claim on the Rock.

Sir Michael told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “Gibraltar is going to be protected all the way because the sovereignty of Gibraltar cannot be changed without the agreement of the people of Gibraltar and they have made it very clear they do not want to live under Spanish rule.

“It is interesting in the draft guidelines from the EU that Spain is not saying that the whole thing is subject to the transfer of sovereignty.”

Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo Credit: Daniel Ochoa de Olza
Lord Howard drew comparisons with the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, highlighting the 35th anniversary of the start of he war.

He told Sophy Ridge on Sky News: “There is no question whatever that our Government will stand by 
Gibraltar.

“Thirty five years ago this week another woman prime minister sent a task force half way across the world to defend the freedom of another small group of British people against another Spanish-speaking country. I am absolutely certain our current Prime Minister will show the same resolve.”

The Rock of Gibraltar Credit: Paul Grover for the Telegraph
Mr Picardo said that life under Spanish rule would be “absolutely awful”.

“I am sure the UK will be batting for Gibraltar,” he said. “Gibraltar is not on the table as a chip.”

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Credit: REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, said that the UK’s support for Gibraltar will remain “implacable and rock-like”.


He said: “I wanted to reiterate that the UK remains implacable and rock-like in our support for Gibraltar.

“As the Prime Minister herself said earlier this week, we are clear that Gibraltar is covered by our exit negotiations, and we have committed to involving Gibraltar fully in the work that we are doing.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ichael/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

94% people of Gibraltar voted against the brexit..........

 

[Nefarious]

Nothing will happen, they know the consequences

 

[Steve781]

Our army is in pretty poor shape compared to what it used to be but Spain is on another level of decay altogether. Wales could probably beat Spain in a war with the amount they spend.

 

[waz]

94% people of Gibraltar voted against the brexit..........

And 99% voted for the continued union with the UK mainland. Gibraltar may ask for certain concessions when we leave the EU.

 

[SMS Derfflinger]

Operation Sea Lion 2.0 ?!?

"Sailors, let us make the fleet ready for the invasion, the Union need us...make my flagship ready!"
"Öhm Sir, your flagship had been sunk in Scapa Flow..."
"WHATTT?"

Okay @waz, the first round goes to you...
We need a more traditional approach...meanwhile before Gibraltar

 

[BHarwana]

Gibraltar is British, the people are British and the Spanish should just forget about it and concentrate on being good neighbours with the oversea territory

It would be foolish to argue with a mod on the affairs of the country of his residence but Spain has a good claim over the land and the major issue is most in the Gibraltar would now opt for Spain because of EU membership. Every thing now depends on Le Pen and french election if Le Pen wins than UK will have a good deal as Le Pen will also push on moving out of EU but if things go other wise UK has less options and will not get a good deal.

 

[waz]

It would be foolish to argue with a mod on the affairs of the country of his residence but Spain has a good claim over the land and the major issue is most in the Gibraltar would now opt for Spain because of EU membership. Every thing now depends on Le Pen and french election if Le Pen wins than UK will have a good deal as Le Pen will also push on moving out of EU but if things go other wise UK has less options and will not get a good deal.

Oh feel free to debate my dear friend. You're wrong about Gibraltar's people. They are even more patriotic than the mainland folks. Just YouTube street interviews with normal folk and you will understand their views. Having been there several times, there was a clear feeling of hate for the Spanish government. As for the Brexit, yes it is true they voted to remain in the EU, but the union is more dear to them. As I wrote previously they may ask for concessions, which the UK government will think about. I agree with what you said about Le Pen, but I don't see her winning.

 

[BHarwana]

Oh feel free to debate my dear friend. You're wrong about Gibraltar's people. They are even more fanatically patriotic than the mainland folks. Just YouTube street interviews with normal folk and you will understand their views. They hate Spain with a passion. As for the Brexit, yes it is true they voted to remain in the EU, but the union is more dear to them. As I wrote previously, they may ask for concessions which the UK government will think about. I agree with what you said about Le Pen, but I don't see her winning.

If Le Pen fails to win the EU will stay strong. UK had 2 chances one was the election which Greet lost and second was Le Pen. Now when UK entered in EU, UK gave big firms huge tax reliefs to make them invest in UK and supply to whole EU from UK. The best deal for EU would be not to give UK a free trade deal. This will take investment from UK to EU and after 5 years when the entire investment is drained from UK give UK a free trade deal. I think EU plans to do this. To counter the situation UK is rushing towards India to get a trade deal so that those firms in UK find them selves a market, but India is demanding visa in return and if UK gives visa to Indians this will destroy the entire concept of Brexit, as Brexit was triggered due to immigration. Regarding Gibraltar Spain and UK will not go to war but Spain will make a fuss. Today just heard on BBC that UK coast guard escorted a Spanish fast attack vessel of the coast of Gibraltar. So Gibraltar will stay in play by that regards as Spain is not letting it go and staying in EU is a major priority for many in the United Kingdom. To keep the Kingdom United UK needs trade deals either with EU or with an equally large market so that foreign investment stay in UK or they will move to EU and UK has only 2 years for that which is too less time.

 

[truthseeker2010]

And 99% voted for the continued union with the UK mainland. Gibraltar may ask for certain concessions when we leave the EU.

UK may not get the what it wants from the EU given the current hostile environment...............

 

[-SINAN-]

This kind of situation happens between Greece and Turkey all the time.. In the end nothing will happen.

 

[Kambojaric]

The Spanish claim would seem a bit more sincere if they werent grabbing onto similar enclaves in other parts of the world, most notably across the sea in Ceuta and Mellilla (surrounded on all sides by Morocco and the sea). Any argument that Spain makes to claim Gibraltar, can be thrown right back at them.

 

[SMS Derfflinger]

It would be foolish to argue with a mod on the affairs of the country of his residence but Spain has a good claim over the land and the major issue is most in the Gibraltar would now opt for Spain because of EU membership.

Not really, according the peace treaty of Utrecht, Spain had ceded Gibraltar.
http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/utrecht1a.pdf

Or a modern example, how Germany ceded all claims about his former east territories in the 4+2 treaties.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Final_Settlement_with_Respect_to_Germany

Do you see us whining or complaining about this matter? S*it happens, if someone lose a war...

Lol, I nearly spat my yogurt out when I saw that. Nice one.
Anyway there's 40 million decedents of the British in the US. Your allies will be crushed.

We can beat this with 49 millions according of the census of 2010...

But seriously, with an increasing part of spanish-speaking Americans, would be a really nice question, how special, the special relationship would be in such a case...

 

[Taimoor Khan]

The first crack in the EU after Brexit and the ugly scars which were patched in post WW2 and later EU, are coming back in limelight.

About time British establishment stop giving safe heavens to terrorists who cause havoc in distant lands like Pakistan, and focus on issues at home like homeland security and other regional affairs like EU.

Funny though, they are fitting over the rock (Jabal-e-Tariq) which was named after Muslims conquer, Tariq Bin Ziyad who laid the foundation of Muslims rule over Europe for over 700 years.

 

[The SC]

This kind of situation happens between Greece and Turkey all the time.. In the end nothing will happen.

There were some air combat some times, no?

 

[BHarwana]

@waz This is what I was talking about.
A British Royal Navy patrol boat chased a Spanish warship out of Gibraltar’s territorial waters in the latest spat between the UK and Spain over the disputed enclave’s future after Brexit.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/04/05/516788/UK-Navy-chases-Spanish-warship-out-of-Gibraltar

BBC has also reported this heard it my self.