Gibraltar, the Rock which has been such a vital base for
the Royal Navy for centuries, and which has commanded the
entrance to the Mediterranean, is renowned for its loyalty
to the British Crown.
Almost to the last man and woman, the 30,000 residents of
Gibraltar are fiercely loyal to Britain, and with the exception
of Northern Ireland there are few places where so many Union
Jacks can be seen flying, and red, white and blue bunting.
The Gibraltarians are a friendly people, mostly Roman Catholic,
and utterly committed to the British cause. Why then should
there be even a hint that the UK would think of diluting the
link between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom?
In spite of the denials from London, there is little doubt
that the British Government is moving closer to reaching an
agreement with Spain which would amount to a form of joint
authority.
The betrayal of Hong Kong, and of course the appeasement
treatment shown by the Government to Dublin and the betrayal
of Ulster unionists, does not encourage any feeling that things
will be different in the long run towards Gibraltar.
All sorts of glib denials are uttered by Government Ministers
when it is put to them that the people of Gibraltar will be
sold down the river.
There was talk that an attempt would be made to buy off the
Gibraltar folk with a financial bribe, but that was very quickly
kicked into touch by the Gibraltar people who treated such
a suggestion with the contempt it deserved.
All that can be hoped for is that Westminster Members of
Parliament who have a conscience about Gibraltar and what
it has done for Britain down the centuries, especially during
the Second World War, will stand by Gibraltar when it comes
to the crunch.
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