Oct 20 - Number Six: Feetham Wrong To Write Off Any Future EU Option For Gibraltar
The Government has said several times that it is exploring all the options for Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union.
This has included the reverse Greenland option on the basis that it is the only precedent where a part of a Member State has remained in the EU while another part of it has left. Indeed, Number Six argues that Gibraltar is not the only member of the British family of nations that has examined this option. This option and various permutations of it remain on the table and are actively under consideration.
The Government has said that Mr Feetham is “wrong to help the Spanish Foreign Minister to remove it from consideration” adding that the GSD statement yesterday is therefore “badly timed, plays into Sr Margallo's hands and is evidence of another serious error of judgment on Mr Feetham's part.”
A statement continued: “However, the reverse Greenland model is only one of several models that the Government has been looking at. The Opposition have to understand that it is our duty to look at all options.
“The only model that the Government has ruled out is the proposal made again by the Acting Spanish Foreign Minister for shared sovereignty between the United Kingdom and Spain. This is why the Government neither via ministers or any officials or otherwise, has not entered into any discussions, secret or otherwise, with Mr Margallo. Nor will we.
“As for the security of Gibraltar, it is in public finance terms, more secure than ever now that the GSLP Liberal Government is in charge of the administration of our affairs. Our public finances are stronger than ever and Mr Feetham needs to stop trying to scare people in this respect, especially at this sensitive time in our history, just for the sake of trying to frighten people into supporting him.”
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