News Reader.info

Fabian Picardo hit out at Spain for adopting a “mentality of the 1950’s”, while claiming it creates “great embarrassment” for the other 26 EU member states. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar

also labelled descriptions of Gibraltar as a colony “unnecessarily provocative”. A Sky News presenter asked: “A European Commission spokesman refused three times to our diplomatic editor

today to say whether or not Gibraltar was a British colony. When you watch that, what’s your reaction?” Mr Picardo argued: “Well it’s very clear to me that Spain is creating great

embarrassment for the European Commission by this style of behaviour and she is creating great embarrassment to the other 26 remaining member states. “And I don’t mind telling you and I’d

quite like Spanish diplomacy to know that the remaining member states tell us constantly how embarrassed they are at the approach that they’re required to support from Spain.” Earlier in the

interview, the Gibraltarian barrister added: “It’s unnecessarily provocative and it’s prerogative to describe the relationship between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom as being colonial.

“In fact it’s a relationship which is now modern, it’s mature, it’s one born from partnership. “And the reality is that Spain I think is still in the mentality of the 1950’s and 60’s, but we

are not. “And the people of Gibraltar are full British citizens, and we feel very much a full part of the British family of nations.” The comments follow EU officials branding the Rock a

“colony of the British Crown” in its legislation to prepare the bloc for a no-deal Brexit. Theresa May’s EU ambassador, Sir Tim Barrow, contested the “completely inappropriate” wording in a

heated meeting with his European counterparts in Brussels on Friday. Diplomats in Madrid have been manoeuvring to organise desperate efforts to snatch joint sovereignty of the Rock, which

became a British overseas territory 300 years ago. Despite British protests and turbulent negotiations, Spain has secured a footnote regarding Gibraltar to a proposed EU law that would

provide visa-free access to UK nationals if Britain leaves the bloc without a deal. The controversial text reads: “Gibraltar is a colony of The British Crown. “There is a controversy between

Spain and the United Kingdom concerning the sovereignty over Gibraltar, a territory for which a solution has to be reached in light of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General

Assembly of the United Nations.” Sir Tim argued for an alternative text to be used during the stern discussions in Brussels this morning. The British diplomat wanted to ensure the Spanish

footnote "is without prejudice to the respective legal positions of Spain and the UK with regard to sovereignty and jurisdiction".