British Accused Of Hauling Down Gibraltar Flag

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

09 January 2002

On Monday, Foreign Office official Sir Emyr Jones Parry, who is the UK ambassador to NATO, but for historical reasons retains responsibility within the FCO for the renewed discussions between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar, held a long meeting in Gibraltar with chief minister Peter Caruana and his deputy Keith Azopardi in an attempt to reach agreement on the terms for the Gibraltar Government participation in talks with Spain under the Brussels process.

The Gibraltar government has been insisting on having a full presence at what would be effectively tripartite talks, rather than observer status.

Following the meeting, a government statement said that Sir Emyr reaffirmed the UK government's determination to reach an outcome with Spain by summer of this year, but that no agreement on participation terms had been reached.

Meanwhile, the constitution committee of the House of Assembly held another meeting yesterday to put the final touches to a new constitution for Gibraltar. The form of the proposed new constitution is now virtually set in concrete as far as the Assembly is concerned, and does not include a role for Spain. It is therefore totally at odds with whatever 'agreement' might emerge from the Anglo-Spanish talks. The plan is to put the new constitution to the British government. Which won't know what to do with it!

These high level going-on were however of much less moment for the people of Gibraltar yesterday than the ‘disappearance’ of the Union Jack from the top of the Rock. Theories abounded, including the possibility that the flag was 'wrapped around' the flagpole and couldn't be seen. But a call to a spokesperson at the office of the Commander of British Forces elicited the response that it was not flying “because there had to be a certain rank of person here for it to fly.” When the caller said no, it was because of the British deal with Spain, the phone went dead!

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