Jason Moore20/10/2016 00:00
TW
1

Spain has a golden opportunity to win the hearts and minds of the people of Gibraltar, who voted to remain in the EU in the referendum last summer. Spain has been busy underlining its European attributes and already there have been calls for Spain to get joint sovereignty of the "Rock" alongside Britain. Gibraltar wants to stay in the EU; in fact it needs the EU for its economic prosperity. For once it appears that Gibraltar just might listen to Spain, especially if it talks EU membership.

The Gibraltar government has been watching Scotlands negotiations with the EU very closely. At the moment Spains latest attempt to win over the "Rock" is on hold because as we all know Spain doesn't have a government. But this should all change by Christmas and I suspect that the Spanish government will launch a "Gibraltar drive" at the same time as Prime Minister Theresa May starts divorce negotiations with the EU early in the New Year.

The British government has made it very clear; there will be no negotiations with Spain over Gibraltar. But for once Spain has something that Gibraltarians want: membership of the EU. This is an important bargaining tool. I sincerely doubt that we will be seeing the Union Flag coming down at Gibraltar any time soon, but it could be the start of the end. Gibraltar needs Europe for its very survival. Without Europe it is back to the drawing board.