Sir, – I was shocked to see that the EU has included an effective Spanish veto on the Brexit talks over Gibraltar in its draft guidelines. By supporting the vacuous Spanish position, the EU is throwing away its moral authority in the talks. It is ignoring the clearly expressed democratic wishes of the Gibraltarians. In the 2002 referendum only 1 per cent of Gibraltarians wished to share sovereignty with Spain.
All the EU’s position will do is make a deal less likely as the British will never shift nor should they. The hard Brexiteers will be much strengthened.
While our Government cannot be seen to publicly break ranks, it should be doing its utmost to insist that this Spanish veto is watered down in the final EU negotiating position. The Spanish veto on the talks is completely against Ireland’s interests, and we should be making that clear to our partners in no uncertain terms. – Yours, etc,
JOHN ANDREWS,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – Perhaps the draft European Union guidelines for the Brexit negotiations should include a clause relating to Northern Ireland equivalent to that applicable to Gibraltar? “After the United Kingdom leaves the union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to Northern Ireland without agreement between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom”. – Yours, etc,
EOGHAN Ó hARGÁIN,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
