BORIS JOHNSON: Gibraltar not for sale

But even before then, Gibraltar was close to his heart. There he was, in 2013, wading into an increasingly bitter row over Gibraltar, demanding that the then prime minister, also a Conservative, should ‘prise Spanish hands off the throat’ of Gibraltar.

At the time he was Mayor of London. And he was incensed because the Spanish authorities had decided 'for no good' reason, to revive the frontier harassment more in keeping with the Franco era.

He said: "They are causing delay and botheration and they are now threatening a tax on goods vehicles going to the Rock. That is illegal under EU law, and tantamount to a blockade. They must stop it all, and pronto."

Years hence, he could not have made his feelings clearer when he told the Spaniards "Gibraltar is not for sale."

Then Foreign Secretary, he declared that the British territory would not be “traded” or “bargained away” during Brexit talks.

It followed the surprise decision by EU leaders to mention, in their framework for Brexit talks, a Spanish veto over any future trade deal involving Gibraltar.

He added: “The policy of the Government remains fixed and firm. The sovereignty of Gibraltar cannot be changed without the express consent of the UK and the people of Gibraltar.”

He praised Gibraltar’s “vibrant business centre” and said its harbour remains a “key Nato asset” because it can take nuclear submarines.

And he made a valid poont, apllicable then, now and in the fture: “The status of Gibraltar has been unchanged since 1713. It made no difference when the UK joined the Common Market in 1973 and when Spain was not yet a member. It should make no difference today."

“So let us go into these discussions with goodwill and optimism and get a deal that is good for the UK, good for Spain, and good for the people of Gibraltar.”

Negotiating guidelines published by European Council president Donald Tusk had said this: "After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.”

ROCK-LIKE

And he picked up the telephone and rang chief minister Fabian Picardo about it. "I wanted to reiterate that the UK remains implacable and rock-like in our support for Gibraltar. As the Prime Minister herself said earlier this week, we are clear that Gibraltar is covered by our exit negotiations, and we have committed to involving Gibraltar fully in the work that we are doing," he told the Press.

Said headline in 2017: "Boris Johnson commits to Gibraltar post-Brexit"

British foreign minister Boris Johnson vowed to defend the country’s sovereignty of Gibraltar, whose future was thrown into question after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

“The people of Gibraltar have repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed their wish to remain under British sovereignty and we will respect their wishes,” Johnson said following a meeting with Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.

Johnson pledged further that the UK government “will not enter into any process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

“We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to safeguard Gibraltar, its people and its economy including maintaining a well-functioning Gibraltar-Spain Border,” he said, in a Foreign Office statement.

He reiterated his views: “I think the position of the Government is very, very clear. Which is that the sovereignty of Gibraltar is unchanged and it’s not going to change, and cannot conceivably change without the express support and consent of the people of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom.”

24-06-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR