Brexit clock ‘still ticking over Gibraltar’ as negotiations continue with Spain to keep border open

Inews ^ | 26 December 2020 | Ruchira Sharma

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Less than a week until Britain officially leaves the EU, and London and Madrid are yet to finalise an agreement over Gibraltar’s border

The clock is still ticking on Britain’s exit from the EU transition period and Spain and the UK are yet to agree on a border decision for Gibraltar, days after a Brexit trade deal was sealed.

Gibraltar currently has an easy flow of people and goods from Spain’s border, but this is currently at risk as the UK leaves the EU on midnight on 31 December. The i newsletter latest news and analysis

Negotiations between London and Madrid over the future of the British territory on the Iberian Peninsula have run alongside those on Britain’s future relationship with the EU post-Brexit.

Without an accord, the movement of goods between Gibraltar and Spain will be subject to customs procedures from 1 January, with financial repercussions.

...“For us… the clock is still ticking,” said Gibraltar government chief Fabian Picardo on Thursday, while adding that he was “optimistic that we will be able to finalise that agreement”.

...In a 2002 referendum, 99 per cent of Gibraltarians rejected any idea of Britain sharing sovereignty with Spain. But in 2016, nearly 96 per cent of voters in Gibraltar backed staying in the EU, while in Britain proper the referendum vote was 52-48 per cent in favour of leaving the bloc.

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For the people of Gibraltar, this is hard.

99% rejected any idea of shared sovereignty UK-Spain.
They want to be British

BUT
96% want to stay in the EU.

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They love being British, but they like being in the EU with easy access to Spain.

They will do what they can to keep the border open, but there are limits. They take a slow, or even closed, border over Spanish rule.