Welsh Ukip leader BACKS Gibraltar urging fight against Spain's 'COOKED UP' plot
WELSH Ukip leader Neil Hamilton urged Wales to throw its weight behind supporting the sovereignty of Gibraltar.
Welsh Ukip leader urges support for Gibraltar’s sovereignty
Mr Hamilton insisted the Welsh First Minister wrote to the European Commission declaring his support for The Rock’s sovereignty and economic status.
Speaking in the Senedd in Cardiff at Welsh First Minister’s Questions, Mr Hamilton suggested the Commission had “cooked up” a land grab plot with the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy.
The Rock's officials have claimed Theresa May was duped by Spain into leaving Gibraltar out of Brexit negotiations in order to spark a power grab.
Mr Hamilton suggested because the First Minister was a Remain supporter and Gibraltar had voted overwhelmingly to remain within the bloc, Mr Jones could write to the European Commission with added weight.
Neil Hamilton urged the First Minister to write to the European Commission over Gibraltar
It is vitally important for southern Spain as well as for Gibraltar that there should be no interference from Spain in the economic life of Gibraltar
“The First Minister wants to play a direct role in these negotiations and there is in fact a useful role that he could play,” he said.
“It seems that the EU is trying to use Gibraltar as a bargaining chip to try to get a better deal from us.
“Will he write to the Prime Minister of Spain and also the Chief Minister of Gibraltar supporting the Gibraltarians’ right to self determination which is guaranteed by Article 1 of the UN charter?
“The border is of critical importance to Gibraltar…If indeed it is the case that Spain has put its claim to Gibraltar’s sovereignty on ice and is prepared to live with Gibraltar, that’s well and good.
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“But the idea that the European Commission suddenly produced this proposal in a letter without discussion with the Prime Minister of Spain is fundamentally absurd.
“Clearly this is something which has been decided in the council of ministers between the Commission and, in particular, the Prime Minister of Spain.
“It is vitally important for southern Spain as well as for Gibraltar that there should be no interference from Spain in the economic life of Gibraltar at all.”
Mr Jones, who will meet with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar - Fabian Picardo - within the next few weeks, said it was right to say there had been a lot of “posturing” and there were issues that still needed to be worked through.
But he said Spain had been “very quiet” on the Gibraltar issue and it was just one clause that appeared in the European Commission’s negotiation document.
Theresa May and her Brexit minister David Davis were reportedly tricked into excluding The Rock from the Article 50 letter, which was personally handed to European Council president Donald Tusk last week.
Gibraltar officials claim Spanish ministers managed to persuade the Department for Exiting the European Union (Dexeu) to omit any mention of the overseas territory - despite lobbying by Gibraltar for inclusion in the wording.