Jan 20 - Europe Shadow Minister Urges UK Government to Raise Pressure on Spain
Shadow Europe Minister Gareth Thomas has this week urged Foreign Secretary William Hague to press the European Commission to take further action, following their visit to Gibraltar year, and their letter to the Gibraltar Government recommending that they further clamp down on tobacco smuggling between Gibraltar and Spain.
The Telegraph reports that the labour MP for Harrow West, insisted that the residents of Gibraltar were concerned that ‘Britain was not doing enough to defend them from Spanish harassment’.
Following a visit to Gibraltar in November, the month that saw the highest number of illegal incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, Mr. Thomas explained that he had been struck by the sense that the Gibraltarians have of being under siege, with the on-going incursions.
The broadsheet claims that Mr. Thomas’ letter to the Foreign Secretary urges him to ask the Commission to publish their correspondence with the Spanish Authorities, detailing their concerns about the Spanish controls at the Frontier. The Commissions letter has formerly been published by MEP for Gibraltar Sir Graham Watson, Mr. Thomas goes on to question why no Foreign Office Minister’s have visited the Rock since the GSLP/ Liberals election to Government in 2011.
Mr. Thomas further went on to say that not enough pressure is being put on the Spanish Government, as there is no real change to the situation that has seen extensive frontier delays and increased BGTW incursions.
