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'Apocalyptic' Gibraltar claims blasted by Intelligence Committee

Lord Howard appeared to suggest that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war over Gibraltar (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Lord Howard appeared to suggest that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war over Gibraltar (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Michael Howard’s suggestion that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war over Gibraltar has been dismissed as ‘apocalyptic’ by the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Critics condemned the former Tory leader’s comparison of the situation on the Rock to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands.

ISC chairman Dominic Grieve said there was ‘no evidence’ for Lord Howard’s remarks.

Mr Grieve said: ‘I don’t think I would have expressed myself in the terms that Michael Howard did, because it sounds a little bit apocalyptic.

‘We have no evidence at the moment that the Spanish government would seek to invade and take over Gibraltar.

‘That said, it is right to point out that with all our overseas territories, and that includes Gibraltar, if they were ever to be attacked we would go to war. That is stated United Kingdom Government policy.’

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On BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour he added that Brexit could cause difficulties in the relationship with Spain, and criticised the EU for the ‘rather dangerous and slightly risky’ decision to mention Gibraltar in the draft negotiating text ‘because it is likely to raise the temperature in what is going to be a difficult negotiation’.

Spanish minister Alfonso Dastis has now accused Britain of ‘losing its cool’.

He said he was ‘surprised by the tone of comments coming out of Britain’.

Gibraltar insisted it will not be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations over Brexit. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Gibraltar insisted it will not be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations over Brexit. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The Prime Minister has vowed not to trade away Gibraltar’s sovereignty in pursuit of a trade deal with the European Union as the UK withdraws from the bloc.

The issue of Gibraltar was raised in draft EU negotiating guidelines circulated by European Council president Donald Tusk, which indicated Madrid would be given a veto over the British overseas territory’s participation in a future deal.

Mrs May spoke to Gibraltar’s leader Fabian Picardo to tell him the UK remained ‘absolutely dedicated to working with Gibraltar for the best possible outcome on Brexit’.

While there was no reference to Spain’s claim to sovereignty in the EU document, the specific mention of a role for the Madrid government in deciding whether a trade deal would apply to the Rock has caused unease in Westminster.

In a series of television interviews, Lord Howard repeatedly compared the situation to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands which led to war with the UK.

Michael Howard repeatedly compared the situation in Gibraltar to that of the Falkland Islands (PA Images)
Michael Howard repeatedly compared the situation in Gibraltar to that of the Falkland Islands (PA Images)

He said on Sunday: ‘Thirty-five years ago this week, another woman prime minister sent a taskforce halfway across the world to defend the freedom of another small group of British people against another Spanish-speaking country, and I’m absolutely certain that our current Prime Minister will show the same resolve in standing by the people of Gibraltar.’

Asked if he was ‘seriously suggesting’ going to war with Spain, Lord Howard replied: ‘Of course not.’

But he blamed the EU for the row and added: ‘I can see no harm in reminding them what kind of people we are.’

Spain has a long-standing territorial claim on Gibraltar, which has been held by the UK since 1713 and has the status of a British overseas territory.