Base row in Gibraltar talks

Gibraltar: Straw wants joint sovereignty with Spain

Spain says control of the British military base cannot be left out of any joint sovereignty deal on Gibraltar amid reports of a UK cabinet rift on the problem.

The comments from the Spanish Foreign Ministry come as UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has reportedly been criticised by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon over the Rock talks.

The base is part of Gibraltar and we are working out solutions how that would be handled

Julio Albi
Spanish Foreign Ministry

The Times newspaper says Mr Hoon has sent Mr Straw a "strongly worded" letter, warning that Britain's strategic military interests are being put at risk.

The Foreign Office says it does not comment on letters between ministers but says Britain will keep control of its Gibraltar military base under any agreement.

Self-determination fears

Spain and the UK have been in talks about the currently British territory since last summer, and hope to have an agreement on joint sovereignty by July.

Mr Hoon's letter is said to have expressed his concern that Spain was pushing for joint use of Britain's naval base and military airfield on the Rock.

Mr Hoon also suggested the talks were contrary to the principle of self-determination for the people of Gibraltar, who want to remain British.

The Times said the Foreign Office was infuriated by the leak of the letter, as the terms of the talks with Spain had been agreed with the Defence Ministry.

Hoon: "Concerned" about military interests

It reported one diplomat as putting the letter down to Mr Hoon's ambitions for Mr Straw's job.

Neither government department would comment on details of any correspondence between ministers, nor confirm the leak.

But the Foreign Office said: "The military bases in Gibraltar will remain under British control."

That stance is underlined by Mr Straw in an interview for BBC Radio Five Live, to be broadcast this weekend.

Mr Straw says control of the base is one of Britain's "red lines" over a deal.

Spanish position

Some observers believe that does not exclude the idea of some kind of joint use agreement over the base - as Spain operated with America.

Last month the Spanish prime minister declared Spain would never cede its claim to complete sovereignty.

Julio Albi, a spokesman for the Spanish Foreign Ministry, on Friday told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme that the base was an integral part of Gibraltar.

Discussions over the base continued between Britain and Spain, he said.

"Certainly a complete separation, keeping the base out of the agreement - we are not contemplating that solution," said Mr Albi.

Deal safeguards

Currently, about 420 naval and RAF personnel are stationed on Gibraltar, and its position at the mouth of the Mediterranean has made it a vital base for operations abroad.

Earlier, Donald Anderson, Labour chairman of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, said he knew of no cabinet rift and would be "very surprised" if the Times story was true.

Gibraltar was important to Britain's overall international interests but not vitally so, Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The MP said a deal between Britain and Spain over the Rock might never be agreed.

But if it was it would have to be agreed by Parliament, where there was "a great deal of anxious unease", and by a referendum of the people of Gibraltar, he added.

Talks continue

Mr Straw is expected to meet his Spanish counterpart Josep Pique in London next week for further discussions about sovereignty.

The vast majority of Gibraltarians are vehemently opposed to any deal with Spain, fearing it is the start of a "slippery slope" to full Spanish control.

Mr Straw was jeered by crowds of up to 3,500 - more than a tenth of Gibraltar's population - when he visited the Rock earlier this month to try to push the idea.

The foreign secretary has repeatedly insisted no deal has yet been done, and that any agreement would have to be approved in a referendum by the people of Gibraltar.