Lammy holding talks on post-Brexit deal for Gibraltar
Foreign Secretary David Lammy will have talks with the European Union and Spain in Brussels as a post-Brexit deal on Gibraltar appears close.
Mr Lammy held talks with Gibraltar's leaders, members of the opposition and the business community before leaving the British overseas territory to head to Brussels on Wednesday morning.
Talks on rules governing the border of Spain and Gibraltar have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020, but an agreement has not yet been reached.
The PA news agency understands that a deal has not yet been reached and there are still a number of sticking points.
A Foreign Office source said: 'We're working to secure an agreement that works for the people and businesses in Gibraltar.
'An agreement that will protect British sovereignty, supports Gibraltar's economy and allows businesses to plan for the future.'
Ministers have insisted no deal will be done without the full support of Gibraltar's government.
Mr Lammy held talks with chief minister Fabian Picardo in Gibraltar along with the UK's overseas territories minister Stephen Doughty.
Today, with @DavidLammy and @SDoughtyMP we held a Cabinet meeting in No6 Convent Place to agree final parameters for negotiation. We will now travel to Brussels to meet @MarosSefcovic and @jmalbares. It's time to try to finalise arrangements for lasting, stable relationship… pic.twitter.com/YojYmRi0cu
— Fabian Picardo (@FabianPicardo) June 11, 2025
The ministers and Mr Picardo then travelled to Brussels for talks with the EU and Spanish representatives.
In a post on X on Wednesday morning, Mr Picardo said it is 'time to try to finalise arrangements for lasting, stable relationship between Gibraltar and the EU/Spain which is safe, secure and beneficial'.
But officials close to the talks said there were still 'hard negotiations ahead'.
Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory.
The last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the move.
Gibraltar also hosts an RAF base at its airport and an important naval facility.
The Government, in line with its Conservative predecessors, has said it will not sign up to a deal that gives sovereignty over Gibraltar to another country, or that the Gibraltarian government is not content with.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
26 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Lithium supplies will not keep up with demand for electric cars, experts warn
Europe, the US and China will be unable to extract enough lithium domestically to meet their demands for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to a study. Researchers from East China Normal University in Shanghai and Sweden's Lund University described this as a 'looming crisis' that could cause 'delays in meeting critical climate and energy goals'. They warned that domestic lithium production could grow as much as 10 times in some areas of Europe, the US and China by 2030 but still fall short of the 'soaring demand' without technological innovations or increasing imports. Lithium, an element which is generally obtained by mining, is a critical component in most EV batteries. EVs are seen as vital to decarbonising road transport, and demand for them is surging in Europe, the US and China. Pure battery electric new cars held a 20.9% market share for the first five months of this year, up from 16.1% during the same period in 2024. Sale of conventionally-fuelled new cars will be banned in the UK from 2030. The report found that under 'most scenarios' for the future levels of lithium production and the amount required, domestic supplies in Europe, the US and China – where 80% of the world's EVs are sold – 'cannot meet demand'. This would lead to those regions 'requiring trade to fill the gap', the study added. Researchers estimated that Europe might need 792,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent – a measure of lithium content – by 2030. Based on existing and proposed lithium-mining projects, production in Europe could reach 325,000 metric tons at that point. Measures to tackle the shortfall suggested by the authors of the study included shifting focus from producing personal EVs to promoting the use of public transport, and adopting battery technologies that use less or no lithium. The UK imports all the lithium it currently uses from countries such as China and the US, but several companies are developing plans to extract reserves in Cornwall and the North East of England. Portugal is the only European Union member to mine and process lithium. Qifan Xia, of East China Normal University, author of the study published in journal Cell Reports Sustainability, said: 'Lithium today is as important as gasoline in the industrial revolution. 'While lithium reserves are substantial around the world, they are distributed unevenly across different countries. 'Our study showed that without immediate action to expand mining, diversify suppliers, and rethink how we manage demand, the world risks delays in meeting critical climate and energy goals.' Ben Nelmes, founder of green consultancy New AutoMotive, said: 'Lithium will be a key part of the economy, from mining and refining through to cell manufacturing and recycling. 'It is therefore vital that European policymakers send positive signals to investors by maintaining ambitious targets for electric cars and a supportive environment for mining projects.' Separate analysis by the organisation estimated that up to a quarter of a million jobs in Europe could be created in the next five years through EV battery production and the supply chain.
South Wales Argus
29 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Government ‘putting its money where its mouth is' with £200m for Acorn scheme
Ministers confirmed they are meeting in full the request for development funding for the Acorn project in Aberdeenshire – the first time a government has provided funding of this scale for such a project to proceed. The scheme, which proposes storing emissions from across Scotland under the North Sea, had previously been overlooked for support despite repeated calls from the Scottish Government and others for it to be backed. With the UK Government also pledging to support the Viking carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the Humber, Mr Miliband insisted the two schemes will 'support industrial renewal' with 'thousands of highly skilled jobs'. According to the sector, Acorn could support about 15,000 jobs at its peak, with up to 20,000 jobs at the Viking project. As it develops, it is planned the Acorn site will link up with the former oil refinery at Grangemouth via more than 200 miles of pipelines. An existing 175 miles of gas pipes will be repurposed for this, with 35 miles of new pipeline also being built, allowing CO2 from the Grangemouth site to be transported to Acorn's storage facilities under the North Sea. The move is seen by many as being key in securing a future for the facility, where some 400 workers were recently made redundant. Ed Miliband visited the Acorn project site near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on Thursday (Paul Campbell/PA) Speaking as he visited the site near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Mr Miliband said: 'This Government is putting its money where its mouth is and backing the trailblazing Acorn and Viking CCS projects. 'This will support industrial renewal in Scotland and the Humber with thousands of highly-skilled jobs at good wages to build Britain's clean energy future. 'Carbon capture will make working people in Britain's hard-working communities better off, breathing new life into their towns and cities and reindustrialising the country through our Plan for Change.' Mr Miliband visited the site the day after Rachel Reeves promised funding for Acorn in her spending review – although the Chancellor did not put a figure on how much support would be given in her statement to MPs. (PA Graphics) Tim Stedman, chief executive of Storegga, the lead developer of Acorn, said: 'We warmly welcome the UK Government's support for the Acorn project and the commitment to development funding that will enable the critical work needed to reach final investment decision.' He added the 'milestone' is 'key not only for Acorn but for establishing Scotland's essential CCS infrastructure needed to grow and scale the UK's wider carbon capture and storage industry'. Mr Stedman continued: 'We look forward to working with Government in the months ahead to understand the details of today's commitment, and to ensure the policy, regulatory and funding frameworks are in place to build and grow a world-leading UK CCS sector.' Graeme Davies, executive vice-president at Harbour Energy, which is leading the Viking project, said the commitment in the spending review 'sends a strong signal' that the project is 'an infrastructure-led economic growth priority' for the Parliament. He added: 'We will work with Government on the critical steps needed to progress Viking CCS towards a final investment decision.'
South Wales Argus
29 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Lithium supplies will not keep up with demand for electric cars, experts warn
Researchers from East China Normal University in Shanghai and Sweden's Lund University described this as a 'looming crisis' that could cause 'delays in meeting critical climate and energy goals'. They warned that domestic lithium production could grow as much as 10 times in some areas of Europe, the US and China by 2030 but still fall short of the 'soaring demand' without technological innovations or increasing imports. Lithium, an element which is generally obtained by mining, is a critical component in most EV batteries. EVs are seen as vital to decarbonising road transport, and demand for them is surging in Europe, the US and China. Pure battery electric new cars held a 20.9% market share for the first five months of this year, up from 16.1% during the same period in 2024. Sale of conventionally-fuelled new cars will be banned in the UK from 2030. The report found that under 'most scenarios' for the future levels of lithium production and the amount required, domestic supplies in Europe, the US and China – where 80% of the world's EVs are sold – 'cannot meet demand'. This would lead to those regions 'requiring trade to fill the gap', the study added. Researchers estimated that Europe might need 792,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent – a measure of lithium content – by 2030. Based on existing and proposed lithium-mining projects, production in Europe could reach 325,000 metric tons at that point. Measures to tackle the shortfall suggested by the authors of the study included shifting focus from producing personal EVs to promoting the use of public transport, and adopting battery technologies that use less or no lithium. The UK imports all the lithium it currently uses from countries such as China and the US, but several companies are developing plans to extract reserves in Cornwall and the North East of England. Portugal is the only European Union member to mine and process lithium. Qifan Xia, of East China Normal University, author of the study published in journal Cell Reports Sustainability, said: 'Lithium today is as important as gasoline in the industrial revolution. 'While lithium reserves are substantial around the world, they are distributed unevenly across different countries. 'Our study showed that without immediate action to expand mining, diversify suppliers, and rethink how we manage demand, the world risks delays in meeting critical climate and energy goals.' Ben Nelmes, founder of green consultancy New AutoMotive, said: 'Lithium will be a key part of the economy, from mining and refining through to cell manufacturing and recycling. 'It is therefore vital that European policymakers send positive signals to investors by maintaining ambitious targets for electric cars and a supportive environment for mining projects.' Separate analysis by the organisation estimated that up to a quarter of a million jobs in Europe could be created in the next five years through EV battery production and the supply chain. These include roles in sectors such as mining, gigafactories – large sites where EV batteries are produced – and recycling.
