Spain and EU ruffle UK's feathers over Gibraltar 'colony' label

“I don't know what Spain's playing at,” Picardo is reported as saying.

“Our neighbouring giant makes the most of every chance it has to stick its finger in our eye.”

The minister, who is known for rarely mincing his words, accuses Spain of 'abuse' and 'bullying' and said 'nobody would be surprised' about the Spanish government's latest 'provocative statement'.

British ambassador in the EU Sir Tim Barrow said calling Gibraltar a 'colony' was 'inappropriate', as it is a 'full part of the UK family' in the same way as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands are, and has 'a modern constitutional relationship' with Great Britain – a situation that 'would not change' after Brexit.

Sir Barrow called for 'all parties' to 'respect the people of Gibraltar's democratic wish to remain British'.

The controversial description forms a footnote of a lengthy document on the right of Brits to travel throughout Europe after Brexit, and reads, “Gibraltar is a colony of the British Crown. There is controversy between Spain and the UK concerning the sovereignty of Gibraltar, a territory for which a solution should be found in light of resolutions and decisions relevant to the United Nations.”

Gibraltar is included in a list of British overseas territories, along with the Falkland Islands – which Spain and Argentina still refer to as Las Islas Malvinas – the Cayman Islands, and Anguila.

Diplomatic sources say Gibraltar appears in the United Nations' list of 'non-autonomous territories pending decolonisation', meaning its description as such in the EU paper on visa-free travel is 'nothing new'.

The UN itself has recommended Spain and the UK resolve the Rock dispute 'via bilateral negotiations'.

Visa-free travel for British nationals is described in the EU document and includes citizens of Gibraltar in the same way as for those of other regions of the UK.

Restrictions will apply after Brexit, whether or not the UK leaves with a deal in hand – British nationals will be allowed to travel within the passport-free Schengen zone without a visa for up to 90 days at a time during any 180-day period.

Effectively, after the maximum three-month stay in another EU nation, a British national would have to return to the UK and wait another three months before travelling to the same country again.

This does not apply to EU countries where the traveller in question is already resident – for example, a British national already residing in Spain will be allowed to remain in the country indefinitely, but would be affected by the 90-day rule if travelling to another member State.

These restrictions will apply from midnight on the morning of March 30 if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, or if a deal is struck, will come into effect from New Year's Day 2021 after the agreed transition period.

The transition period will not apply in the event of a no-deal Brexit.