What will Brexit mean for Gibraltar?
SPAIN could ruthlessly cut off and isolate Gibraltar after Britain voted to leave the EU, the Rock’s government has warned.
Spain's Government on Friday called for joint control of Gibraltar after the British people voted to leave the EU in the referendum on Thursday.
Brexit could damage the peninsula’s shipping trade, online gaming industry and finance centre, Gibraltar’s government said in a report published in the run up to the referendum.
The report, produced by the Commons foreign affairs committee, called for action to stop Spain from taking advantage of a Brexit to undermine and isolate the disputed peninsula.
It said: “The UK must immediately act to protect Gibraltar from such actions in the event of a vote to leave the EU.”
Here is a look at what Brexit could mean for the British terrority, which Spain has long laid claim to.
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Would Brexit leave Gibraltar at risk?
In a statement submitted to the committee, Gibraltar’s government issued a warning that a Brexit could leave the Rock vulnerable to Spanish aggression.
It said: “Experience has shown that Spain would take advantage of any such renegotiation in order to further undermine, isolate and exclude Gibraltar from the European mainstream.”
The document said that successive Spanish governments had often used border checks and delays to “chokehold Gibraltar’s economy and slow down its tourism industry”.
Looking forward, it warned that Brexit would lead to “tremendous uncertainty” because Spain’s border inspections were only moderated by EU rules over free movement of people.
It said: “No doubt, without those EU rules, the border could become a wall and the general position would be intolerable.”
The history of Gibraltar
What would Brexit mean for Gibraltar’s economy?
Gibraltar’s modern, service-based economy has benefited from the EU’s principles of free movement of people, capital and services, the Rock’s Government said.
It said: “The pillars of Gibraltar’s economy include an extensive shipping trade, a well-regulated international finance centre and a thriving online gaming industry.
“Given that the success of these services depends on access to the single market there is no doubt that if the United Kingdom were to leave the European Union, its impact on the Gibraltar economy would be considerable.”
Did the people of Gibraltar back Brexit?
Gibraltar’s government believed there was an anti-Brexit mood among the people of Gibraltar who were allowed to vote in the referendum on EU membership.
Its statement said: “It is expected that the message from Gibraltar will be clear and that the overwhelming majority of its electorate will vote to remain in the European Union.”
MP Crispin Blunt, chairman of Commons foreign affairs committee, advised British voters to consider the long-term opportunities and challenges of Brexit, as well as the short-term impact.
After the release of the report in April, Mr Blunt said: “The referendum offers the British people a once-in-a-generation opportunity to chart a course for the UK’s role in the world.”
