Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ex-Minister Peter Hain Makes Gibraltar Residents Angry

At a time when common sense needs to be shared with high tensions between the UK and Spain over the ownership of Gibraltar running high with the residents of Gibraltar stuck in the middle, Ex-Minister Peter Hain seems to have made the tensions higher by claiming that the UK should share ownership of the island with Spain.

Peter Hain has urged the government to hold talks with the Spanish government where they should talk about sharing sovereignty of Gibraltar, however residents living on the island of Gibraltar feel Peter Hain shut keep his opinions to himself.

A resident on Gibraltar who did not wished to be named told In2town Lifestyle News: “The people living in Gibraltar are happy to be under the UK, we are proud to be part of the UK and we do not want to come under Spanish rule. Peter Hain is making matters worse, is he also saying that the Falklands should be given back to Argentina?, I think not”

It seems Peter Hain comments are not welcomed by the residents of Gibraltar as well as the government in the UK who have said they will not compromise over sovereignty.

Mr Hain who was Europe Minister when Tony Blair was in power feels sharing sovereignty with Spain would be the solution, he believes that it would improve life for the Gibraltarians but it seems the people living on the Island do not agree.

The ex-minister said the UK was close to striking a deal with Spain back in 2002 but claims the Spanish government got cold feet.

He said: “There was a historic opportunity to have joint sovereignty which would have protected Gibraltarians’ way of life – they could remain British citizens, but it also recognised Spain‘s historic claim at the root of this.

“I think we need to revisit those whole negotiations.”

Foreign Secretary William Hague is not interested in what Mr Hain thinks or says, as far as he is concerned, Gibraltar is part of the UK and he says he will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Gibraltar.

The Spanish government have made a number of threats over the past few days which includes charging people to enter and leave Gibraltar as well as closing the airspace to the Island, if these two things happened then it would damage the island tourism trade.

By Diane Walker

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