“Sabre Rattling” over Gibraltar?
OK, the 30,000 people of Gibraltar have repeatedly voted to remain British – the latest referendum was in 2002 – but does that mean whenever a few thousand people in any part of the world vote to “be British” that we have an obligation to defend them and make them part of our nation?
Only 27 per cent of Gibraltarians have any connection with Britain. The rest are Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. Moreover, Gibraltar is entirely self-governing, with its own constitution. It has its own currency and tax regime. It is in the European Union, but conveniently exempt from many of its provisions, such as customs duties, agriculture policy and fishing policy.
In fact, it is fishing which has caused the latest dispute with mainland Spain. Gibraltar has been adding concrete blocks to an artificial reef it is creating in the waters around the rock to try to encourage wildlife but Spain says it is interfering with its traditional fishing grounds. The Spanish authorities have imposed border controls which they say are necessary to tackle the increasing incidence of smuggling.
Spain believes the territory should belong to it
Spain is also threatening to renew its sovereignty claim over Gibraltar at the United Nations, with the support of Argentina which is currently a member of the Security Council and interested in renewing its own claim to the Falkland Islands. It seems to me that should negotiate a deal over both the Falklands and Gibraltar which would guarantee home-rule for the islanders but would pass sovereignty over to Argentina and Spain. These are cases where simple geography trumps the selfish wishes of a few nostalgic islanders living far from home.
If we had been sensible before 1982, we could have avoided war with Argentina over the Falklands and not given General Galtieri and his military regime an excuse for repressing their own people.
The same rule of geography could be applied to the rest of the 14 British overseas territories – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctica, the Indian Ocean territories, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, Akritiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, St Helena, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The nearest country, in each case, should be invited to take them over.
I do not wish to be unkind to the 200,000 inhabitants involved but many of these territories are paradise islands specialising in expensive holidays and tax avoidance. It was with some embarrassment that David Cameron had to admit that these British tax havens were some of the worst offenders when he launched his campaign at the G8 summit in June for a clamp down on international tax avoidance.
St Helena
The overseas territories are also costing the British taxpayer quite a lot of money. Over £100m has been spent over the last three years supporting just three of the territories – Monserrat, St Helena and the Pitcairn Islands, all of which have tiny populations. The 50 or so Pitcairn Islanders cost us £172,000 each in the last three years. The British government says they have “first call” on our overseas aid budget. I don’t doubt that these islanders have real problems of isolation but when you set that against the millions that face starvation and disease in Africa, you have got to ask if it is money well spent.
Gibraltar was ceded to us “in perpetuity” in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht which ended 13 years of war across Europe. Minorca was included in the deal, incidentally, but we have since had the good sense to hand that back to Spain. The same should happen to Gibraltar. This unfortunate rock, because of its strategic position at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, has had multiple owners over the years – Neanderthals, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Moors and the British. The time has come to give it to its rightful owner, Spain.