GIBRALTAR: The Conservatives have accused the Blair government of preparing to surrender sovereignty and "sell out" Gibraltar. The charge came as the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, and his Spanish counterpart, Mr Josep Pique, reported "good progress" in their London talks on the future government of the colony. Frank Millar reports from London.
Britain's Europe Minister, Mr Peter Hain, insisted they had not yet "finessed" an agreement over sovereignty. However, Mr Pique fuelled speculation about a likely power-sharing deal, setting the summer as the deadline and asserting that the status quo on the Rock was "not sustainable".
And while holding the line that any agreement must meet the approval of Gibraltar's 30,000 electors in a referendum, Mr Hain said neither the colony's Chief Minister, Mr Peter Caruana, nor anybody else, "should be allowed to veto" the British/Spanish attempt to resolve this 300-year-old problem.
Mr Caruana yesterday repeated his refusal to join a dialogue he believed had a predetermined outcome. Accusing the Blair government of telling the British people only "half the story" the Chief Minister said: "I am being invited to take part in dialogue after the British and Spanish governments have already agreed between themselves an outline of principles which include giving away half of the sovereignty of Gibraltar."
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Mr Caruana suggested that even if he joined the talks he would be unable to influence "a set of applicable joint principles" which would include massive concessions to Spain. "That is a wholly unrealistic process of dialogue and one that can only encourage the Spaniards to keep on asking for more," he said.
Mr Hain, however, rejected suggestions that London was trying "to bounce" the people of Gibraltar and said it was "really important that the Chief Minister reconsider his decision to leave an empty chair."
Mr Straw again said there was "no question" of Britain handing-over Gibraltar to the Spanish. At a press conference at the Foreign Office following yesterday's talks he promised the people there theywould retain their British citizenship while insisting they would benefit, too, from a more cooperative relationship with Spain.
Ahead of yesterday's talks, in an article in the Gibraltar Chronicle, Mr Straw also stressed that "the end of Spanish antagonism" was a "non negotiable" part of the process, adding: "Gibraltar's way of life, its culture and British traditions will be preserved."
The Conservative shadow foreign secretary, Mr Michael Ancram, accused Mr Straw and Mr Hain of attempting to cover up a planned "sell out". Charging the ministers with "trying to pull the wool over our eyes", Mr Ancram declared: "I repeat what I have said frequently, that shared sovereignty is sovereignty surrendered."
Mr Ancram condemned as "disingenuous" Foreign Office attempts to draw a parallel with Northern Ireland. Mr Ancram - a key Stormont minister during the negotiation of the Downing Street Declaration - said that in his time in Northern Ireland joined or shared sovereignty was never on the agenda..