Gibraltar and Brexit

[Dave the OAP]

Maybe like the Falkland and Gib, they want to stay British.

But if the Scottish referendum goes against the government, the term British will have to be reclassified...certainly we won't be able to use the term " United Kingdom" as it will just be England, wales and the 6 counties. When people talk about British, that normally refers to the whole of the uk. Or so my us colleagues tell me.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Bit like the Channel Islands. How jersey etc are ours is a real hangover from empire days.

Norman conquest days.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Let them declare independence then. Couldn't care less about Gibraltar to be honest, it's a bit of a joke that we somehow still 'own' it.

Just the same hilarious contradiction that most ex pats I know (and I know a few) are anti EU but also 'Britain is on its arse that's why we left'. Strangely most also seem to be devastated that we are now leaving the EU as it may **** them over and they will no longer be able to nip back to the UK for a month a year to ensure they still get all their free healthcare and state pension.

They do not need to 'nip back' for their pension, it is paid automatically whether they live here or not, ingrate.

 

[BNthree]

Norman conquest days.

Was going to say they are waaaaaaaaaay before any Empire and are from when our island was ruled by French.

 

[BNthree]

And they 'own' a chunk of land across the water from Gibraltar in Africa. Do they propose handing that over to show consistency?

Seems odd Spain are so keen to get Gibraltar back when it will cause problems for them with regard to Ceuta and Melilla which they have in Morocco.

 

[BNthree]

Surely the Gibraltans are more worried by import/export tariffs which means they won't be able to go to Spain for cheap shopping or get lots of Spaniards coming there for shopping rather than sovereignty issues or any great love of the EU?

 

[alfredmizen]

End Of Empire. If we were to be around a hundred years from now, the world map would doubtless look decidedly different. Gibraltar would belong to Spain, The Falklands would belong to Argentina, Northern Ireland would be reunited with Southern Ireland. Tho who Spain, Argentina and Ireland would belong to is anybody's guess.

I doubt it very much.....................

 

[alfredmizen]

Was going to say they are waaaaaaaaaay before any Empire and are from when our island was ruled by French.

Weve never been ruled by the French.

 

[Surf's Up]

Let them declare independence then. Couldn't care less about Gibraltar to be honest, it's a bit of a joke that we somehow still 'own' it.

Just the same hilarious contradiction that most ex pats I know (and I know a few) are anti EU but also 'Britain is on its arse that's why we left'. Strangely most also seem to be devastated that we are now leaving the EU as it may **** them over and they will no longer be able to nip back to the UK for a month a year to ensure they still get all their free healthcare and state pension.

UK citizens living in Gibraltar really dont need to nip back to the UK to ensure they can accdess free healtcare and their state pension. The pension is paid wherever you live. In terms of healthcare there is a modern hospital in Gib dealing with regulation illnesses. If you have anything more seriously wrong with you the Gib government pays for you to receive specialist treatment either in Spain or in the UK. In the case of the latter this means you go straight to the top of the waiting list and are, in effect, trteated as if you were a private patient.

On the wider issue of Gibraltar and the UK/EU the Gibtaltarians attitude is conditioned by 3 factors. Firstly they hate the Spanish (although they are gradually adopting spanish culture, food, lifestyle without realising or admitting that this is happening - oh, and the majority of Gibraltarian families have second houses in Spain which they use at weekends). Secondly they hate the British (after 300 years of very patronising colonial rule this is hardly surprising. They do however make great play of their umbilical connexion to the UK and as has already been stated use the UK healthcare system tio their advantage, the UK educational system (Gib kids are educated in the English system and attend UK universities) and they are completely reliant on defence support from the UK to dispell any momentary thoughts the Spanish may have had in the past to try and seize Gibraltar back by force. Finally Gibraltar is a very wealthy state and they will only ever vote for the option that is most likely to retain and increase that wealth. The UK link has worked well for them up until now but looking forwards it is far more likely that they would see membership of the EU as of more fundamental importance going forward. Their problem is that if/when the UK leaves the EU it will re-calibrate Gibraltar's relationship with Spain and they could become dangerously isolated if May drops them in the shit. In terms of the UK's relationship with Gibraltar, that is almost entirely historical and emotional. Gibraltar has nothing to offer the UK and is therefore expendable.

 

[Surf's Up]

Apologies for the spealling mistakes and others in the above piece. I should've checked before posting and I did'nt.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Weve never been ruled by the French.

I'm curious: are you distinguishing between "French" and "Norman"? If so, that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? William I was born in Normandy, as was his father and grandfather....

 

[alfredmizen]

I'm curious: are you distinguishing between "French" and "Norman"? If so, that's a bit of a stretch, isn't it? William I was born in Normandy, as was his father and grandfather....

Yes I am , no it isnt.

 

[sjamesb3466]

They do not need to 'nip back' for their pension, it is paid automatically whether they live here or not, ingrate.

Name calling is a bit petty isn't it?

I don't think you should get your state pension if you decide to live abroad as it is money being drawn from the UK and spent abroad.

My point is that lots of people like to live abroad and moan about how the UK has gone to shit but are quite happy to benefit from the blessings that living in the UK brings.

I know at least two families who never paid a days tax in their life and yet come back to the UK a couple of times a year to get their free NHS prescriptions which to me is wrong.

 

[alfredmizen]

Name calling is a bit petty isn't it?

I don't think you should get your state pension if you decide to live abroad as it is money being drawn from the UK and spent abroad.

My point is that lots of people like to live abroad and moan about how the UK has gone to shit but are quite happy to benefit from the blessings that living in the UK brings.

I know at least two families who never paid a days tax in their life and yet come back to the UK a couple of times a year to get their free NHS prescriptions which to me is wrong.

Its also money from a pot that most of these people have CONTRIBUTED to .

 

[Thunder Bolt]

End Of Empire. If we were to be around a hundred years from now, the world map would doubtless look decidedly different. Gibraltar would belong to Spain, The Falklands would belong to Argentina, Northern Ireland would be reunited with Southern Ireland. Tho who Spain, Argentina and Ireland would belong to is anybody's guess.

Argentina have no claim, whatsoever, on the Falklands. The Falklands were the Falklands long before Argentina existed.
Gibraltar is different, but it is in such a strategic place as the entrance to the Mediterranean, it will stay British.
Northern and Southern Ireland are still poles apart politically.

 

[Soulman]

Argentina have no claim, whatsoever, on the Falklands. The Falklands were the Falklands long before Argentina existed.
Gibraltar is different, but it is in such a strategic place as the entrance to the Mediterranean, it will stay British.
Northern and Southern Ireland are still poles apart politically.

This

 

[Goldstone1976]

Yes I am , no it isnt.

We'll have to agree to disagree about whether its a stretch. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[alfredmizen]

We'll have to agree to disagree about whether its a stretch. Thanks for the clarification.

They were a distinct cultural and ethnic group from the french, even the language was different.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Name calling is a bit petty isn't it?

I don't think you should get your state pension if you decide to live abroad as it is money being drawn from the UK and spent abroad.

My point is that lots of people like to live abroad and moan about how the UK has gone to shit but are quite happy to benefit from the blessings that living in the UK brings.

I know at least two families who never paid a days tax in their life and yet come back to the UK a couple of times a year to get their free NHS prescriptions which to me is wrong.

The pension bit is money that the people themselves have paid into for many, many years. But you want to take it from them? I stand by my description of you, ingrate.

 

[Goldstone1976]

They were a distinct cultural and ethnic group from the french, even the language was different.

The first two - absolutely yes; the last - hmm, less so; I'd argue it's more a dialect difference, rather than a different language. The same can also be said for the Bordelais, the Burgudians, the Alsations, the Savoieans, etc. By the definition you seem to propose for making the distinction, it's possible to argue that the "French" don't exist at all.