The only time 'Starmer' and 'Steady as a Rock' will be seen in the same headline?

Rock of Gibraltar has been key British geo-political & military asset for centuries - like Chagos it's at risk

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2025

Following Starmer's Chagos deal to pay to give key UK territory to Chinese ally, is Gibraltar next?

The Rock of Gibraltar sits at the gateway to the entire Mediterranean. It is a key British strategic asset, with its naval base and air base. It’s people have consistently voted overwhelmingly (by more than 95%) to remain British.

Just over one year ago, EU Commission Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares, and the then UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron, together with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo, met in Brussels to discuss the future of Gibraltar.

This was the second meeting in this format, with both sides claiming “important breakthroughs and additional areas of agreement”. Here is the joint statement.

“All sides are reassured that the agreement is getting closer and will work closely and rapidly on outstanding areas towards an overall EU-UK agreement.
“The meeting reaffirmed their shared commitment to concluding an EU-UK Agreement to bring confidence, legal certainty and stability to the lives and livelihoods of the people of the whole region, by protecting and improving economy and trade, mobility, environment and social wellbeing, while safeguarding all parties’ legal positions. They all agreed to remain in close and constant contact.”
- Joint statement, UK FCDO and EU Commission, 16 May 2024

It then got worse

On the following Thursday in the Spanish senate, the Spanish Government said it expected armed uniformed officers of the Policia Nacional to play a direct role in implementing Schengen immigration controls at Gibraltar’s airport and maritime entry points. This meant having uniformed and armed Spanish officers on British soil, policing the entry of British citizens.

Whilst the UK and Gibraltar governments said no to this in the past, it remains to be seen what will be agreed in the secret talks now taking place with the Starmer government. Previously it had been floated that EU Frontex border guards would be present – another big no for UK sovereignty – but it could get even worse.

Here was the Spanish government a year ago

“The Policia Nacional must carry out border controls. If Frontex agents are present, their role should be to support and complement the Policia Nacional.
“Therefore, the responsibility for conducting border inspections lies with the Policia Nacional, with Frontex serving an auxiliary function.”
- Spanish government statement, 22 May 2024

On New Year’s Eve 2020, a deal was done on Gibraltar, which was excluded from the new UK-EU ‘trade deal’ because of a veto granted to Spain.

Gibraltar's future?

“Under the agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, Schengen's closest member state [Spain – Ed.] will be the one that will be taking responsibility for what happens here as regards the European Union under the treaty.”
- Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, 31 Dec 2020

What, who, where is Gibraltar?

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. Its head of state is His Majesty King Charles III, who is represented locally by the Governor of Gibraltar. For centuries the people of the United Kingdom have been able to arrive in Gibraltar, be greeted by Gibraltarian border guards, and step onto British soil.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

This is all set to change - and this is what may happen
Once you are waved through by Gibraltarian border guards you’ll be faced with the EU’s Frontex force, or if the Spanish have their way by armed Spanish border guards.

This is before being able to enter the supposedly-British, supposedly-sovereign, territory of Gibraltar.

What did the Government agree to the last time?

On New Year’s Eve, (31 Dec 2020), the then British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced:

“Working side by side with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, and following intensive discussions with the Spanish government, we reached agreement on a political framework to form the basis of a separate treaty between the UK and the EU regarding Gibraltar. We will now send this to the European Commission, in order to initiate negotiations on the formal treaty.”

As we reported at the time, the detail did not look good

It was Spain’s then Foreign Minister, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, who first announced the deal at a press conference in Madrid. Evidently pleased, she told the press that Gibraltar will become part of the EU’s Schengen zone: the supposedly-free travel area within all EU member states. (As we have previously reported, the EU’s Schengen Zone hasn’t functioned properly for many years.)

Mrs Gonzalez Laya went on to explain that Schengen controls will be applied at Gibraltar's airport and port "with the assistance" of the EU’s Frontex officers. She added that Spain, as a Schengen member, would be "the guarantor" of those checks.

Gibraltar’s Chief Minister was at pains to explain that no members of the Spanish border guard would police the border at the airport and port, but he seemed to have glossed over five important points.

We are working on two very important but time-consuming reports
Please help to keep us fighting by making a donation below
Please don't leave it to someone else - you ARE that someone else

Any credit card user

Quick One-off

From £5 - £1,000

Monthly

From £3 per month

Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first

Quick One-off

Monthly

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The EU’s Frontex force is that of a foreign power – the EU – and it will have rights on UK soil
Gibraltar will become part of the EU’s Schengen Zone – and subject to EU Schengen directives
The Frontex border guard comprises nationals of all EU member states, including those from Spain
According to Spain's Foreign Minister: “At the border, the practical result is that the fence comes down”
And now the Spanish are insisting on their own armed border guards on British soil

A brief summary of the background and the importance of Gibraltar

New British aircraft carrier the HMS Queen Elizabeth © MoD - click to enlarge

Gibraltar occupies an area of 2.6 square miles at the southern tip of Spain. Crucially Gibraltar has geographical and therefore strategic significance, with a large British naval base and an airport used by both civilian airlines and by the RAF.

Militarily Gibraltar has further importance for the United Kingdom and its allies. It is home to a location of UKSIGINT – the network of signal interception stations all around the world. This network is part of what makes the UK a leader in the global western intelligence community – a status which the EU has yet to achieve.

Gibraltar has been British for more than three centuries (309 years), since the Treaty of Utrecht when Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in perpetuity. In the 1950s, Spain’s fascist government of General Franco laid claim to Gibraltar – a claim which persists to this day.

In Gibraltar’s 1967 referendum, 99.6% voted to stay British which resulted in Spain severing the land border with Gibraltar as well as all communication links. It was a severe action taken by Spanish dictator Franco to beat the plucky Gibraltarians into submission. This action by Spain had followed years of increasing restrictions placed on Gibraltar by the Spanish, and the Gibraltarians never buckled.

The Spain-Gibraltar border was only fully re-opened in 1985 – and the Spanish only did this because it was a condition of Spain joining the then EEC.

Observations

Gibraltarians voted massively to stay British - 58 years ago, and again in 2002 rejecting a 'shared sovereignty with Spain' deal dreamt up by the FCO. In each case they voted by 99% for full British sovereignty.

In 2016 they also voted massively to remain in the EU - by 96%. Their reasons were of course very regional, and based on deep memories of the actions of the Spanish to them in the past. Nevertheless, once the rest of the UK's majority decision was clear, they stood behind the UK.

Nnegotiations continue between the UK and Spanish governments, as well as with the EU, and the fate of Gibraltar will be decided in the details of the treaty which will then be signed.

Under Sir Keir Starmer, the already unacceptable arrangements we have described above could get immeasurably worse. MPs still have time to start raising this issue in the Commons, well before any treaty is placed before them to vote on. Now is the time to ask the difficult questions - and to stand up and be counted.

Gibraltar is British, strategically important, and it must NOT be sacrificed.

Finally, we continue to seek donations from readers so that we can continue to be a serious voice for independence, sovereignty, and freedom in a world which is increasingly shutting down voices like ours. If you believe in these things, and in freedom of expression, please donate today. Quick, secure and confidential, the donation links are below or you can use our ‘Donate’ page here. You will receive a warm and friendly email from a member of our team. Thank you so much for helping.

[ Sources: Foreign & Commonwealth Office | Gibraltar House of Assembly | Gibraltar Chronicle and Spanish press ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 30 May 2025

Click here to go to our news headlines

Please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.
And don't forget to actually post your message after you have previewed it!

Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments

Since before the EU Referendum, Brexit Facts4EU.Org
has been the most prolific researcher and publisher of Brexit facts in the world.

Supported by MPs, MEPs, & other groups, our work has impact.

We think facts matter. Please donate today, so that we can continue to ensure a clean Brexit is finally delivered.

Any credit card user

Quick One-off

From £5 - £1,000

Monthly

From £3 per month

Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first

Quick One-off

Monthly

PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT : You can write your comment under any existing comments below. After you have clicked to preview your comment, you MUST then click on the CAPTCHA system and send you comment, for it to be published. Thank you!

Reader Comments 38

1. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, May 30, 2025, 06:25:

It is irrelevant that 98% of the Gibraltarians wanted to remain in the EU in 2016. As they chose to be ruled by us that live in the UK in 2002, they will just have to accept our decisions … if they like it or not.
We must force our rule upon the Gibraltarians. If we chicken out again … the respect for us as an independent and sovereign country with all our Brexit Freedoms would be significantly eroded … again.

2. Sparky , Friday, May 30, 2025, 06:53:

Good balanced piece covering the issue of Gibraltar. 96% of Gibraltarians voted for Remain because they understood how closely the economy of Gibraltar relied on an open border. 15,000 People cross the border between Gibraltar and Spain each day and over half of the workforce in Gibraltar travels in from Spain. There were reports of chaos at the border in Oct 2024 when due to some "confusion" passport checks were put in place. On this issue the UK can be effectively held to ransom which makes a mockery of the UK "holding all the cards". By comparison an average less than 1,000 people arrive at the airport each day. It will be interesting to see how this is resolved but there is regular updates saying the deal is close but doesn't seem to quite get there. Another Brexit related issue that wasn't covered in the slogans or strategy.
.
Chief Minister for Gibraltar, Fabian Picard said in an interview in the last few days. "One of the things Brexit did for Gibraltar was it stopped the Great British banger being sold in our supermarkets. Our shelves in our supermarkets feel less British now because of Brexit,"

3. Ashley Great Britain , Friday, May 30, 2025, 07:07:

British Government's should fiercely defend our international sovereign territories, no questions asked. The problem is we have leaders who don't seem to hold the views of the majority of the public.
They cannot be relied upon or even trusted to strongly work in our interests. Who knows what sort of things they are doing behind the scenes. EU immigration should only work on EU soil. There's a constant effort from all angles to diminish UK power and influence, when our own leaders are complicit we are left with very little.
Nations are supposed to improve and get better. Our future hasn't been this uncertain for a long time.
-
1 lux ball.
Did you forget that the people of Gibraltar support UK independence.
They are British.
With sarcasm you try to claim that Britain is dividing and conquering, any thought on the EU's actions?

4. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, May 30, 2025, 07:52:

3 Ashley … I agree. It is clear that 98% of the Gibraltarians are remainers. Well, these Gibraltarian remainers have to start realising that the majority of the people in the UK decided to leave the EU in 2016 … and the Gibraltarian remainers just have to accept it.

5. Sparky , Friday, May 30, 2025, 08:15:

I suspect we had a flavour of what will be the outcome for Gibraltar when the Brexit Reset will allow British Passport holders of our new blue/black passports to use e-gates in some countries.
.
4 LB. But what was Leave going to look like, it's still work in progress. Vote Leave stated very reassuringly "We will build a new European institutional architecture', "We will negotiate a new UK-EU Treaty" and "We do not necessarily have to use Article 50".

6. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, May 30, 2025, 08:26:

5 Sparky ‘Vote Leave stated very reassuringly We will build a new European institutional architecture’.
I personally don’t agree with that. The majority of the people in the UK voted to leave the EU … and the Gibraltarian remainers need to accept that and not try to use the EU and Spain against us to get a ‘’soft’ Brexit’ for Gibraltar.

7. Gazzablack , Friday, May 30, 2025, 12:11:

2, sparklers
.
No Hiroo, it doesn't rely on an open border, it merely benefits from one.
And the 15,000 crossing the border every day, they're Spanish.
.
You see, without Gibraltar providing them with employment they would very much poorer.
.
I'm pretty confident that it you gave the Gibraltarians a bilateral choice of being in either the UK or the EU, without the option of both, they would choose the UK.

8. LuxuryBalloon , Friday, May 30, 2025, 12:31:

7 Gazza … Facts4EU has given us the dots: 1/ Facts4EU has shown is many times that remainers actively oppose Brexit, take funding from the EU and collude with the EU to undermine Brexit. 2/ Gibraltar is full of remainers … 98% Gibraltarians voted to remain!
You just don’t wanna connect the dots … instead you are trying to convince yourself that Gibraltarian remainers or somehow different than UK remainers.

9. Gazzablack , Friday, May 30, 2025, 15:19:

8, LB
You have any evidence that Gibraltarians are actively undermining Brexit, or are you just blowing smoke out of your sewage outlet?

10. MajorGWL MC OBE , Friday, May 30, 2025, 15:33:

I would propose stationing a permanent detachment of the Parachute Regiment and the RAF Regiment at RAF Gibraltar to serve as a consistent deterrent to Spain. Many overlook the fact that the Army in Gibraltar maintains the Rock as a Permanent Joint Operating Base for UK operations in the region. Perhaps, when Reform comes into power in the near future, they will take such decisive action.

38 comments, page 1 of 4

Add comment:

Please note: Your email address is never published unless you choose to enter it.