Gibraltar
 

Where do we think this one will go?
Gibraltar: The 'Party Is Over' Warns Spain

Sun.

Sun

I expect this is also related...

Jet fighter threat to the Falkland Islands | World | News | Daily Express

The Spanish and Argies have always enjoyed a linked dialogue of understanding between the Falklands and Gibraltar.

Best they give back the Canaries first though, if the Spaniards want to take the moral high-ground! :ok:

LJ

PS. It is also 300 years this year since the Treaty of Utrecht that gave us Gibraltar.

Here we go again . . .

As Leon says, this has the same feel to it that the Falklands debacle had. An Hispanic government in an economic mess at home need to divert the populations attention away from their plight. I would think that a reciprocal threat of extra taxes on travel to and from Spanish holiday destinations, with its obvious knock on effects, would be sufficient to ward off the threatened border tax. Curious though that when a spat breaks out between member states Rumpy Von Pumpy and Co. are peculiarly quiet.

Smudge

I also think that this (Repsol secures Spanish court case over YPF expropriation - FT.com) coupled to Spain's and Argentina's economic woes may also be at play here. Hence, my surprise at the Mirage F1 deal.

Isn't it always connected to oil!

LJ

Surprised at the news, but bluntly, if the argentine air force can somehow overcome decades of chronic underfunding, lack of training, operations and support and turn 8 nearly 40 year old jets (plus spares) into something that can threaten MPA, then I'd suggest we've got some fairly serious issues.

Of course, on top of the Canaries you can add Melilla and Ceuta on the opposite side of the Straights of Gibraltar - both on Morrocan soil, both about the size of Gib and both belonging to Spain!

How about Spain handing these back and we'll give them Gib? No, I thought not...:ugh:

For those that do not know, Gib is on the left and Ceuta is on the right in this picture of the Straights of Gib...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...erspective.jpg

If you haven't read Razor's Edge by Bichenot for an incredible peak into the Latin psyche may I recommend it?

Is it legal under EU law for one member state to tax people who cross into a neighbouring member state?

Is it legal under EU law for one member state to tax people who cross into a neighbouring member state?

>>>>>>

Seems that the EU do not recognise (or accept) GIB as a member state of the EU

Totally false.

Gibraltar

Since it is not part of the Schengen Area Spain is legally obliged to perform full entrance and exit controls; but charging a fee would be in breach of the Treaty of Rome.

Spain are daft. We can harm them far more than they can hurt us.

Step one would to be obstructive within the EU to economic support for Spain.
Step two would be very thorough inspections of Spanish fruit and vegetable lorries entering the UK. Also cargoes of wine and Vauxhall/Seat cars.

All legal. And very damaging indeed.

If Spain actually did something against Gibraltar we could use The City to cripple their economy and GCHQ to cripple their infrastructure via the internet.

What makes you think the banks in The City work for 'us'?

Santander?

If the Spanish Air Force started to buzz BA flights would be send have a Hawk Det there on QRA?

Its not so much retail banking that matters but the Bond market as a whole. Driving up Spains bond prices by asking our institutions not to buy them would push them over the edge.

Or they may be banking (sorry!) on the implications of going over that edge being such that the Boxheads and the Foul and Most Foreign put reciprocal pressure on the UK to prevent it.

To a degree they appear to be so deep in the sh1t that they're applying the old maxim "owe the bank a tenner and they own you, owe them a million and you own them" on a rather epic scale......

And hundreds of tons of melons and salad vegetables. Just look out for the Spanish trucks from Murcia that bring them in. All over the motorway from Dover

Yeah right!:rolleyes:

Until Spain gives up Cueta and Melilla, each a mirror image of Gib, then there is absolutely nothing to discuss. Even then, Gibraltar is British as a result of the Treaty of Utrecht, which Spain signed. Just as with the Argies, this is the od tactic of diverting attention towards an external scapegoat, rather than having to address some awkward internal issues.

Isn't a condition of membership of the EU acceptance of existing internal borders?

Doesn't bode well for the FSTA mission management development:uhoh:.

OAP