Future relationship with EU discussed in London as Gibraltar leaders meet Boris Johnson

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was at No.10 yesterday morning, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia. Also making up the Gibraltar delegation were Attorney General Michael Llamas, Financial Secretary Albert Mena and UK representative Dominique Searle.

The Chief Minister presented the Prime Minister with a Gibraltar Rugby branded baby grow with the number 10 on the back.

The Gibraltar delegation is in London for a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council between the UK and Gibraltar Governments today.

There were also detailed discussions all day with officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Task Force Europe about Gibraltar’s future relationship with the European Union.

The Gibraltar delegation returns to the Rock today.

Last July, Mr Picardo and Dr Garcia also met Mr Johnson, who we described in PANORAMA at the time as a great supporter of Gibraltar.

Then poised to become Prime Minister, the aim of our leaders was to put across Gibraltar's point of view on key issues as quickly and as directly as possible.

And the two leaders returned to the Rock satisfied about the solid base of support for Gibraltar's position.

Of course, nobody doubted Mr Johnson's backing for Gibraltar, as he has long been a fervent supporter of Gibraltar and its people - even in the days when he was Foreign Secretary, when he would surge forward in defence of Gibraltar putting aside the diplomatic language that was probably expected of him.

Before then, and now, Gibraltar has been 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.

He has not minced his words to show unflinching support - such as when he made it pellucidly clear that "Gibraltar is not for sale."

13-03-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR