Eduardo González
David Cameron, the former British Prime Minister, responsible for calling the referendum that led to the UK’s exit from the European Union, will be the one to decide on the future of Gibraltar, after being appointed Foreign Minister by the current head of government, Rishi Sunak.
Gibraltarians voted massively against the Brexit that Cameron consulted the British people on and are now waiting for Brussels and London to agree on the status of the colony. Negotiations were paralysed following the calling of general elections in Spain – which will have the final say on the agreement to be adopted by the European Commission and the Foreign Office – and also in Gibraltar.
The Gibraltarian authorities hope that once Pedro Sánchez is sworn in again as prime minister -which is likely to happen this week- the negotiations will be reactivated.
After hearing the news that Cameron will take over from James Cleverly as foreign minister, his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, sent him his congratulations through his official account on the social network X, where he added: “We will work together to strengthen Spain-UK relations and to achieve a zone of shared prosperity that benefits the Gibraltar-Gibraltar area”,
Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, also sent a message of congratulations to Cameron on his appointment and another to Cleverly, who has become home secretary.
Although Cameron’s initiative is at the heart of the complications facing Gibraltarians today, Picardo preferred to stress, in a note issued by his government, that his “support” for Gibraltar during his time as chief minister, from 2010 to 2016, was “unwavering”. He added that he hopes to “enjoy the continuity of that strong relationship on his return to the political frontline today as foreign minister”.
According to the Rock’s government, in 2016, before the referendum on the UK’s exit from the European Union, David Cameron was “the first British prime minister to visit Gibraltar since 1967”. As prime minister, he continued, “he repeatedly demonstrated a palpable commitment to Gibraltar and a deep knowledge and appreciation of the Rock’s politics, economy, people and culture”. “Following the results of the Brexit referendum, Cameron, then Prime Minister, gave assurances that Gibraltar would be fully involved in the negotiation process and that Gibraltar’s sovereignty would never be up for discussion,” he added.
In the same statement, Picardo thanked James Cleverly for his time as foreign minister, “during which,” he said, “we stood shoulder to shoulder defending and promoting Gibraltar’s interests in the long and difficult process of negotiating our future relationship with the EU”.
The Chief Minister underlined: “James Cleverly has always been a good friend of Gibraltar, its government and its people, and as Foreign Secretary, during the difficult negotiations on our future relationship with the European Union, he has always been a staunch defender of Gibraltar’s right to self-determination”. He concluded: “James Cleverly has demonstrated the British Government’s continued commitment to keeping the interests of Gibraltar and its people at the heart of the negotiations and has reaffirmed the UK’s pledge to value and protect the unique and strong relationship that Gibraltar and the UK have.
