Lammy holding talks on post-Brexit deal for Gibraltar
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.
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'.
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.
The strategic defence review, released earlier this month, said the UK would maintain a military presence in Gibraltar, 'upholding the sovereignty of British Gibraltar territorial waters'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
12 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Irish premier and president offer condolences after India plane crash
Air India said the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was leaving Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people on board. The airline said 169 passengers were Indian nationals, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese and one was Canadian. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: 'It is horrific and very, very sad what has happened in India, the plane (crash) just shortly after departure, I believe less than a minute.' He added: 'Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families of those bereaved, crew members bereaved, and with the people of India, Britain and Canada. The world is a much closer place, we all travel. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of India after the terrible plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier today. Thinking of the families of all those on board, along with the emergency services attending the scene. — Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 12, 2025 'It is extremely sad and shocking that an accident of this scale has occurred with the loss of so much life.' He noted that it took place close to the 40th anniversary of the Air India flight 182 disaster, in which the plane crashed off the coast of Ireland on June 23 1985 as a result of a terrorist attack. 'All of us who experienced that had a sense of trauma that people go through when crashes of this kind happen,' he said. Irish deputy premier and minister for foreign affairs Simon Harris also extended his sympathy 'to all of those caught up' in the 'very tragic and horrific' crash. 'We think of all of them and their families in what is an evolving story, with no doubt, more information to come,' he told the Irish parliament. Irish President Michael D Higgins said: 'May I express my deepest condolences to the families and communities of all those who have lost their lives in today's tragic airplane crash in the city of Ahmedabad, India. 'All of our thoughts are with those who are grieving those lost, be it passengers or those in the vicinity of the crash, as well as the emergency workers at the scene. 'As president, I extend the condolences of the Irish people to the president of India, HE Droupadi Murmu, His Majesty King Charles, and to the citizens and heads of state of all those countries who have been impacted by this tragic event.'
Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Britons could be stopped from entering Gibraltar by Spanish police, Lammy admits
Spanish border guards will be able to stop Britons entering Gibraltar because of the new Brexit deal for the Rock, the Government has admitted. Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar's chief minister, furiously denied surrendering any sovereignty to Spain or the EU after The Telegraph reported details of the deal on Wednesday. But David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, was forced to concede in the House of Commons on Thursday that Spanish guards working for the European Union would have control over who entered Gibraltar. Under questioning, Mr Lammy told MPs that a British person stopped by Spanish guards at Gibraltar airport would have a choice: they could either voluntarily go over to Spain for questioning, or be returned to the Gibraltarian authorities and return to the UK. 'It is clear from the Foreign Secretary's answer that Spanish border officials can prevent a UK citizen from entering one part of the UK from another part of the UK,' Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, said. 'This appears to be a significant sovereignty compromise,' he told The Telegraph. The deal ensures Gibraltar's border with Spain remains open after Brexit, and means the 15,000 people who cross it every day will not have to have their passports stamped. Border checks will be moved to Gibraltar's nearby airport after the Rock effectively becomes part of the EU's Schengen zone of passport-free movement. People flying into Gibraltar from the UK will face one check from Gibraltarian officials and another by the Spanish on behalf of the EU. Mr Lammy said: 'For those arriving by air into Gibraltar's airport, there will be a dual border control check, in a model similar to French police operating in London St Pancras station.' Dame Harriett Baldwin, a former Conservative minister, asked: 'Can a British citizen flying from the UK to Gibraltar now be stopped by a Spanish official as they land?' Mr Lammy replied: 'There will be a second line queue, as there is in St Pancras, and there will be Spanish border guards and police situated in that second line. 'And of course, if there was an alert, then at that point, not on their own, but at that point, there would be a hand-back facility with the Gibraltar police, so they are working alongside that Spanish team. 'And if there was an alert, then the individual would have a right to legal advice. They would either be able to return to their country of origin, let's say the UK, or they would be able to voluntarily go over to Spain to face the questions they are facing.' Mr Tice asked whether Spanish border officials 'have an effective veto on the entry of a British citizen from the United Kingdom landing on British sovereign territory in Gibraltar'. Mr Lammy said if Mr Tice flew to Gibraltar and there was an alert in the Schengen system, 'he would be handed back to the Gibraltarians, where he might feel more comfortable' before returning to the UK. 'No doubt the Spanish would seek to extradite him, and many in this House would be rather pleased,' he added. Mr Lammy said he had insisted on a 'sovereignty clause' in the treaty and added that immigration, policing and justice remained the responsibilities of Gibraltar's authorities.
Scottish Sun
18 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Final event of Michael Johnson's revolutionary £9million Grand Slam Track embarrassingly CANCELLED
The four-time Olympic gold medal winner launched the venture last year Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE LAST event of Michael Johnson's new athletics league in Los Angeles has been cancelled due to cash woes. The pilot season of the Grand Slam Track was due to climax in California on June 28-29 following race meetings in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track is set to finish early Credit: Getty 2 The legendary sprinter's lucrative event has a prize pool of £9.2m Credit: Alamy Yet the two-day meet at the Drake Stadium will not go ahead with sources claiming the economics of the deal at the venue were poor. It is a surprise move to finish the inaugural series prematurely, especially when British stars Zharnel Hughes, Daryll Neita and Matthew Hudson-Smith were all planning to run. And it throws into doubt the whole business model for the GST for next year, especially as they pay top athletes $100,000 (£74,000) for winning each Slam. It began in the Jamaican capital in April but races took place in front of largely empty stands. READ MORE ON SPORT GAME CHANGER Major Premier League TV change with broadcasting giant to lose all coverage Four-time Olympic champion Johnson, 57, wanted to focus on track stars – there are no field events in the schedule – but the opening three rounds were beset by disappointing ticket sales. Johnson wanted to focus on the US TV market this time but there is a chance he might look to Europe for the 2026 edition with London a favourable destination. Sources close to the event say the ongoing riots in the city which are against Donald Trump's controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy were not the overriding factor in the decision to cancel. Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medal sprinter, hoped to "revolutionise the track landscape" with the venture. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The season offered a total prize fund of $12.6million (£9.2million) split over four events. Johnson has been critical of the Diamond League for failing to bring in new audiences. Olympic legend and third fastest woman of all time demolishes parents at school sports day He said last year: " love this sport and owe everything I have to this sport. "It's been a shame for me to watch [the Diamond League] over the last couple of decades since I retired not be able to continue to provide the same amazing moments to people, outside of just the Olympics. "Over three billion people are watching the sport once a year during major championships and have an expressed interest to continue watching the sport if there was a place to do so. "So I see [Grand Slam Track] as a real opportunity from that perspective."
