At a time when the UK should be looking for allies in the European Union in the Brexit negotiations, former Conservative leader Michael Howard instead decided to sabre rattle over the future of Gibraltar.
The rock off the Spanish coast has long been a cause of annoyance for the Spanish government, but they have not threatened to go to war with the UK over the subject. Nonetheless, Howard seems to think that the UK is in need of some jingoism to unite behind Theresa May’s Brexit plans, hoping that the country would react as it did in support of Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands crisis.
However, Howard fails to note that the Falklands war began with an Argentinian act of aggression when a South American dictator sent troops to occupy a British territory by force. In contrast, Spain is a democratic European partner and Nato member, which has made no suggestion they plan to invade Gibraltar. Spain has called for a veto in how any post-Brexit agreements will apply to Gibraltar, and was accused of using the rock as a bargaining chip, but there was no push for annexation by military force or otherwise.
Gibraltar has been a British territory since the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Situated on the coast between Spain and Morocco, the rock has always been strategically important to the UK, and remains the site of a British military base. The 30,000 population of Gibraltar have twice rejected the idea of Spanish rule in the last 50 years, and it remains self-governing in all affairs apart from foreign policy and defence.
Understanding its position in Europe, Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly (96%) in support of staying within the EU in the Brexit referendum.
