Fears Gibraltar could be cut off from mainland
Spanish conservatives predicted to return to power in national election are likely to take hard line on border crossings
Fears Gibraltar could be cut off from mainland
Spanish conservatives predicted to return to power in national election are likely to take hard line on border crossings
TBF, it’s hordes of spanish commuting into Gib to work each day, not hordes of Gibraltans going to work in Spain. So yes, closing the border *will* cut off all these spanish workers from their jobs and incomes. Though no fog in the channel 🙂
Alas, the effects are likely to be divisive and prompt further disruptions. A good-sized war is always a diversion from home grown problems.
Maybe you UKlanders can sell the place to the Moroccans??
Though as I understand it, if the UK decides to dump the place, the treaty of Utrecht says the Spaniards should have the first option to buy.
I of course feel that the people to decide who they want to rule them should be the Gibraltarians. And I understand they’d prefer to stick with the UK.
Not exactly a new situation Spain closing the La Linea border.
The culmination of my RAF navigation course in 1963 was an overseas trip to Gibraltar. Spanish airspace was closed to us so we had to fly way out into the Atlantic to avoid it – 12 hour flight at 150 knots in a Varsity. Fortunately the land border was open so we were able to enjoy the myriad delights of La Linea… On subsequent visits that was not always the case.
Fine, the local Spaniards can sit on the dole 🙂
Fine, the local Spaniards can sit on the dole
That’s exactly what will happen. It’s not just the Spaniards who work on Gib. It’s the Spaniards sell goods & services to the Spaniards who work on Gib. And the Spaniards who sell goods & services to them. Ad infi. You’re talking about a 50-100km strip of the coast. Madrid fucking about with Gib is far from popular with the locals.
The Gibs were a bit pissed off about Brexit but I don’t suppose it made them any more inclined to become Spanish.
If the Madrid govt would only drop their macho posturing (ha! as if) and had tried being pleasant and accommodating to Gibraltarians instead of deliberately making life difficult, organising mini incursions etc. they’d have probably won round the majority of the population by now.
I asked a Gibraltarian why they voted 99% Remain. The gist of his answer was intimidation by the Spanish.
Gib was one of the best, spine shattering runs ashore in the RN
First foreign run on the way out on deployment and the last coming back
Cheap booze,duty free goods and a population that really liked to party
And even better when the border was closed
Opening the border to a bunch of freeloading Spaniards did not improve things from my (admittedly limited) perspective
Made it more like torremolinos