Jason MoorePalma24/10/2018 19:44
TW

Much has been said about the fears of expat Brits over Brexit but spare a thought for the people of Gibraltar. Gibraltarians were seriously fearful of Brexit, there were fears that Spain might close the border which would have given them an uncertain future and their very livelihood would have been at risk. Gibraltar has prospered over the last decade, largely due to the hard work of its people. The demise of the Royal Navy docks hit the local economy hard and Gibraltarians had to find a new source of income. They turned to tourism and the fact that the border with Spain was open meant that they found an important source of revenue. But Gibraltar has had to fight for tourism, they even pick up tourists at Malaga airport.

When I visited "the Rock" last summer I was struck by the hard work and dedication of its people. They were obviously fearful of Brexit. But the fact that Spain and Britain appear to have reached a deal over Gibraltar is good news indeed and the border will remain open which will give the economy a lift. But there are also other reasons to be upbeat. If Britain and Spain can reach an accord over Gibraltar, then it will not be too difficult to reach and agreement over the status of expat Brits living in Spain. Britain and Spain share common goals and the fact that a deal has been reached gives plenty of hope for the future. But hats off to the people of Gibraltar; at least all their hard work hasn't been destroyed.