The Diplomat
The Governor of Gibraltar, David Steel, boarded a Royal Navy squadron ship yesterday to carry out what he described as a “sovereignty patrol” of the waters surrounding the Rock.
Spain does not recognise British sovereignty over these waters, since, under the Treaty of Utrecht, it only ceded to Britain the city, the port and its internal waters and defences, but not the isthmus, which was illegally occupied by the British in the 19th century and on which the colony’s airport is located, nor the waters off the coast of the Rock.
Nevertheless, London considers these to be ‘British Gibraltar territorial waters’ and regularly protests when Spanish ships enter them.
As a result, disputes over this issue are very frequent and the Spanish government has been surprised by the governor’s attitude, especially the dissemination of this ‘sovereignty patrol’ through social networks.
The governor’s stroll comes at the same time as an increase in the presence of British Navy warships in Gibraltar – last Sunday the HMS Trent, the HMS Forth and the RFA Tidesurge coincided at the naval base – and with the deadlock in the negotiations between the European Commission and the United Kingdom on the future of the colony after Brexit and the talks between Madrid and London on defence matters.
Vice-Admiral David Steel, who as governor is responsible for Gibraltar’s security, defence and external relations, has been very active in recent weeks and recently blamed the Spanish authorities for the failure to reach an agreement on Gibexit for his claims over the use of the airport. Just a few days ago, the UK opened a specific terminal at the airport for military personnel arriving or departing from the Rock.
Steel also requested in May that the new British King, Charles III, pay a visit to Gibraltar, as his mother did in 1954, in a gesture that was highly controversial at the time.
