King Felipe's UK visit: Theresa May says Gibraltarian sovereignty 'is not open to negotiation'

Felipe VI said yesterday that he hoped 'bilateral talks' between the governments of Spain and the UK would help 'seek a solution' which would 'work for the UK and EU and its other members, including Spain' and which 'also worked for Gibraltar'.

During the EU referendum held last June in Britain, 95% of the Rock's residents voted to remain, since cross-border traffic of goods and humans is vital for the survival of both the enclave and its nearest Spanish province, that of Cádiz.

Workers who live in Cádiz - which has an unemployment rate of around 55% - both Brits and Spaniards commute daily to Gibraltar, where the jobless figure is nearer 3% and huge numbers of both nationalities hold highly-paid technical, professional and managerial positions they would not be able to find easily, if at all, in Spain.

But Brexit could lead to a hard border between the two, as Gibraltar would no longer be in the EU whilst Spain would continue to belong to the club.

Former foreign affairs minister José Manuel García-Margallo said on the morning of the Brexit announcement that 'the Spanish flag would soon be flying over Gibraltar again'.

And it flew in British Parliament when Felipe VI spoke of 'the need to make an effort to find a compromise' between Britain and Spain.

But Theresa May (pictured) made it clear the UK would not budge an inch.

Whilst extolling the 'ties of friendship' between Spain and Britain, Mrs May acknowledged that 'discrepancies' continued in relation to the Rock.

"Although we do not agree on the subject of Gibraltar, our position is clear: the sovereignty of Gibraltar is not open to negotiation," Mrs May stipulated.

"The people of Gibraltar have repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed their wish to remain under British sovereignty, and we will respect that."

An unhappy first minister for Gibraltar, Fabián Picardo, complained that 'the two governments' were acting anti-democratically by excluding the Rock's own leaders from their discussions.

"There are not just two relevant governments involved, but three," Picardo stressed.

"And the Gibraltarian government is the most important in this case, since it reflects the wishes of its residents.

"The fact is that Spain lost Gibraltar 300 years ago and Gibraltar has been British ever since.

"This has been reaffirmed in the referendum of 1967 and that of 2002 when, on each occasion, the Gibraltarians voted to remain British.

"Madrid needs to accept these historical facts and move on."

Picardo assures that the Gibraltarians are keen to 'maintain a normal friendship' with Spain, but 'does not wish to form part of the country nor be in any way under its sovereignty'.

"Territories cannot be swapped around by Kings and Queens like pawns in a chess game in this day and age," Picardo concludes.