The " Gibraltar " Issue !

The main thing most of the world remembers about Gibraltar is the very large rock that towers above the territory and overshadows the entrance to the Mediterranean sea from the expanse of the North Atlantic Ocean.   In 1713 Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain and it remains one of that country's overseas territories with a land mass of just 6843 kilometres and a population of 33,140 people.

Spain wants it back and over the years it has been a continuing thorn in the relations between the two countries.  Several times the Spanish have closed the border and prevented the Spanish work force from accessing their jobs in Gibraltar, but that caused more discomfort to the Spanish people than the British.

Any thought of handing Gibraltar back to Spain fills Gibraltar citizens with anguish.  It was a symbol of British sovereignty  back in the days of the British empire and it was an important naval station in the days when the Royal navy ruled the waves.  During the second world war it was of strategic importance guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean.

Now Britain wants to divorce its membership of the European Union and one of the sticking points is British ownership of territory gained in the past that raises contention with its previous owner.  The issue in Ireland is how the border will be treated between Ireland remaining in the EU and British Northern Ireland which will withdraw from the EU.  Compromises are being negotiated to avoid a " hard " border between the two countries.

With Gibraltar, Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez sees an opportunity to bring the Gibraltar question to a head by threatening to withhold Spain's vote of acceptance on the Brexit deal that will officially seal the severance.  He is seeking guarantees about how the disputed territory will be  treated after Brexit.

No individual country has a veto, but it would be diplomatically and politically embarrassing if Spain continued to withhold its approval and this is an issue that still requires ratification by the parliament in Britain.

It is in the interests of the EU that Britain's withdrawal be accomplished in an orderly manner and at the same time they do not want  to grant conditions that may encourage other members to think of leaving.  At this eleventh hour it seems that the EU has persuaded Spain to withdraw its threat - and now the biggest problem remaining is the acceptance of the British people by way of a vote in their parliament.

It now depends on whether the warring factions within Britain came achieve some sort of harmony.  One of the worlds last long serving monarchies now stands at the cross roads and  the dream of a united Europe hangs in the balance !