Garcia Reaffirms Gibraltar’s British Sovereignty At Conservative Party Conference
Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia has addressed the annual Gibraltar Government Reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Dr Garcia highlighted the UK-Gibraltar relationship, the new UK-EU Treaty and Gibraltar’s right to determine its own future, while stressing that the Treaty does not affect Gibraltar’s sovereignty.
A statement from the Government follows below:
The Deputy Chief Minister, the Hon Dr Joseph Garcia CMG MP, has thanked the Conservative Party for its longstanding support for Gibraltar, while highlighting the importance of the new UK-EU Treaty, Gibraltar’s right to determine its own future and the Rock’s contribution to British and allied security. Gibraltar’s British sovereignty is not negotiable, he said.
Dr Garcia was addressing the annual Gibraltar Government Reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, in the presence of the Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry Hon Nigel Feetham KC MP, as well as UK Shadow Minister for Europe Wendy Morton MP, MPs, councillors and other guests.
He said that Gibraltar had “for decades counted on the support of the Conservative Party”, whether it had been in Government or Opposition.
Referring to the negotiations which led to the new UK-EU arrangements for Gibraltar, Dr Garcia said that successive Conservative Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries had understood that Gibraltar required a different framework from the UK because of its unique geographical and economic circumstances.
“For Gibraltar, the frontier is not an abstract line on a map,” he said.
“It is part of the daily life of our people. It is the route taken by fifteen thousand employees on their way to work, by residents on both sides, by families visiting one another, by businesses moving goods and by millions of visitors coming to Gibraltar.”
Dr Garcia said the new Treaty opened a new chapter by providing greater certainty for people and businesses in Gibraltar and a basis for greater stability, security and prosperity.
He also stressed that the Treaty did not affect Gibraltar’s sovereignty.
“This Treaty does not touch Gibraltar’s sovereignty,” he said. “It does not diminish our British institutions and way of life. Indeed, the actual text protects our position on sovereignty.”
The final UK-EU Agreement was signed in July 2026. Article 2 provides that nothing in the Agreement affects the respective legal positions of the UK and Spain on sovereignty and jurisdiction. The UK Government has also stated that the Agreement safeguards British sovereignty and protects the autonomous operation of UK military facilities.
Dr Garcia linked Gibraltar’s position on sovereignty to the democratic wishes of its people, pointing to the referenda held in 1967 and 2002.
“Our British identity is not negotiable,” he said. “It is the freely expressed choice of the people of Gibraltar.”
He quoted former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who said in 1982 that the wishes of the people of Gibraltar were “paramount” and that this was “what democracy is all about”.
Dr Garcia also recalled David Cameron’s description of the defence of Gibraltar as being “in the blood” of the Conservative Party.
He said that the relationship between Gibraltar and the UK was not only about history and sovereignty, but also about security.
“Gibraltar has always understood that Britain has responsibilities far beyond its shores,” he said. “And Gibraltar has always sought to play its part.”
He highlighted Gibraltar’s strategic position at the entrance to the Mediterranean and its importance to British and allied maritime security.
“We sit astride one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints,” he said. “And when the Royal Navy operates in the Mediterranean and beyond, Gibraltar is home.”
Dr Garcia referred to Gibraltar’s support for the United Kingdom in times of conflict and crisis, from the Falklands to Iraq and across the Mediterranean and Middle East.
He also highlighted the wider importance of freedom of navigation and secure maritime routes, saying that the recent crisis in the Strait of Hormuz had demonstrated how the security of narrow waterways could have consequences far beyond their geographical size.
“I would go further still,” he said.
“The world is safer with Gibraltar in British hands.
“And when the chips are down, Gibraltar stands with the UK.”
Dr Garcia said that this commitment went back generations and reflected the enduring relationship between Gibraltar and the Conservative Party.
He also noted his own longstanding personal association with Conservative Prime Ministers.
“I have had the extraordinary privilege of meeting every Conservative Prime Minister since Edward Heath — before, during or after their time in office,” he said.
“That is quite a span of political history. And it probably says something about my age as well!”
Concluding his remarks, Dr Garcia thanked the Conservative Party for its longstanding friendship and support.
“Thank you for defending Gibraltar.
“Thank you for understanding Gibraltar.
“Thank you for listening to Gibraltar.
“And thank you for standing up for our right, as a people, to determine our own future.” He said the relationship between Britain and Gibraltar would endure. “Because Gibraltar is British.
“We chose to be British.
“And we will continue to stand proudly with the UK.”
