Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo speaking on a current hot topic
"Let us be very clear and let the message be clear in Madrid, in Brussels and in every other capital of the European Union.
Gibraltar is not a bargaining chip in these negotiations. Gibraltar belongs to the Gibraltarians and we want to stay British."
In its draft Brexit negotiating guidelines, the EU said any decisions affecting Gibraltar would be run past Spain but that's not gone down well either in the UK or Gibraltar.
- Gibraltarians are British citizens but they run their own affairs under a chief minister
- the territory is self-governing in all matters - including taxation - except foreign policy and defence, which are dealt with by the UK government
- despite its small size, Gibraltar is strategically important, standing only 12 miles from the north coast of Africa. It has a UK military base, including a port and airstrip
UK PM Theresa May has said the UK is "committed" to the territory and its sovereignty is not on the table. There has even been talk over the week-end of a military defence similar to that which Thatcher conducted over the Falkland Islands in 1982.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon told the BBC yesterday that the UK would protect Gibraltar "all the way" because its residents had "made it very clear they do not want to live under Spanish rule".
This might all be a bit of posturing from both EU and UK but one we shouldn't dismiss out of hand.
The BBC has more here
