Nov 25 - Former UK Navy Boss Calls on UK Government to 'Stabilise' the Dispute with Spain
Writing in yesterday’s edition of The Telegraph, former Navy boss Lord Admiral West has claimed that Spain’s recent behaviour is more akin to that of a Fascist dictatorship or banana republic. Recent tensions have seen an extension in stringent checks being made by Spanish customs officers, with pedestrians having to queue for up to 2 hours last week, to enter Spain. Lord West insists that ‘this is extraordinary behaviour for a democratic European state in the twenty first century.’
Lord West notes that former bullying tactics from Spain were seen following the 1967 referendum in which Gibraltarians overwhelmingly voted to remain British. He goes on to question whether the Spanish Government is attempting to divert the attention of its 47 million strong population. From the PP’s corruption scandal, as well as ‘a failing economy, collapse of the building sector, massive unemployment and Catalan separatist pressures.’
Lord Wests insists that Spain should accept the status quo and welcome Gibraltar as another European nation. He adds, ‘Britain must never submit to blatant provocation and harassment. I hope the Government is looking at options to reassure the people of Gibraltar and stabilise the situation by reinforcing our maritime presence around the Rock. If force levels give an impression of lack of commitment then things are more likely to escalate.
I fear that until very recently the Government has been burying its head in the sand and ignoring growing provocation despite warnings by a number of us, particularly Lord Richard Luce, a past Governor of Gibraltar. It has to learn that, rather like appeasement, ignoring a problem seldom makes it go away. The EU is also surprisingly quiet on this issue and should perhaps warn one of its member states about the dangers of provocation of a close partner.
Let us hope that sanity prevails and that Gibraltar, and its people, is left in peace.’
Lord West formerly acted as Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism under Gordon Brown's labour government.
