Jul 11 - Former Governors Write To Foreign Secretary Urging “Reassurance” Following EU Referendum
A letter signed by five former Governors of Gibraltar has been sent to the Foreign Secretary, with a copy to the Prime Minister, concerning the current situation facing the Rock in the light of the EU referendum result.
The full letter has been released to the press and is published below:
8 July 2016
The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
Secretary of State
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
We are writing to you as former Governors of Gibraltar.
The purpose is to ask you to provide both reassurance and clarification about HMG's policy towards Gibraltar in the light of the recent EU referendum result, which has created great uncertainty about their future.
As you know, 96% of the Gibraltar electorate have voted to remain part of the EU on 23 June. Over the last 30 years Gibraltar has gained economically from access to the single market. Moreover the region has benefitted with about 10,000 Spanish having daily access to Gibraltar for work.
Yet the current acting Spanish Foreign Minister, Mr Garcia-Margallo, has stated on 29 June that Gibraltar must not be part of any negotiations to resolve the future relationship of the UK with the EU.
Moreover he has also stated that, for Gibraltar to continue to have its current access to the single market and to keep its economic model, then Spain's solution would be to put in place "for a certain period of time" joint Spanish/British sovereignty which would "culminate with a reintegration into Spanish sovereignty."
As you know, in 2002 98% of the Gibraltar electorate voted to reject Spanish sovereignty.
The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, has formally rejected these attempts by the Spanish government to impose an undemocratic and unacceptable solution for Gibraltar.
We would therefore be grateful if you would reassure the people of Gibraltar in the following way:
- Renew HMG's commitment to uphold the sovereignty of Gibraltar in accordance with the wishes of the people of Gibraltar.
- Make it plain that the Government of Gibraltar will be invited to participate in the forthcoming negotiations defining the new relationship between the UK (and hence Gibraltar) and the EU.
- Accept the Chief Minister's proposal to establish a common and single market between Gibraltar and the UK.
- Make it clear to the Spanish Government that it would be totally unacceptable for them to impose any unreasonable controls on the frontier during the negotiations with the EU.
In view of the importance of this issue to Gibraltar, we are releasing this letter to the media.
We look forward to hearing from you.
With the support of the following former Governors of Gibraltar:
Sir David Durie KCMG
Sir Francis Richards KCMG CVO DL
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton KBE RM
Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns KCB CBE KstJ ADC DL
Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton KCB CBE ADC
cc: The Rt Hon David Cameron MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
Editor's Note: YGTV understands that the reason why Sir John Chappel has not signed the letter is because its authors were unable to contact him within their set time frame. It is no indication of his views on the message / merits of the letter.
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