‘The Rock must not win while the Campo loses’: British ambassador grilled by Andalucian mayors on Gibraltar deal during whistlestop tour
THE British ambassador to Spain received a grilling from regional mayors yesterday over the uncertainty surrounding Gibraltar’s post-Brexit future during a tour of southern Spain.
Alex Ellis found himself pressed by local leaders in the Campo de Gibraltar, as well as making a whistlestop visit to Estepona.
He also paid a visit to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo to discuss a ‘range of matters’.
“They reaffirmed the strength of the UK–Gibraltar partnership and the shared commitment to delivering a positive outcome on the ongoing Brexit treaty process,” a government spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the British embassy in Madrid confirmed that Ellis met the mayors of Algeciras and La Linea to gain ‘first-hand insight into the situation in the Campo de Gibraltar.’
Algeciras Mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce, a fierce Gibraltar critic, urged Ellis to provide ‘clarity, knowledge and respect’ for the region, adding that his town had been left in the dark about negotiations between London, Madrid and Brussels.
“We live in continuous uncertainty because neither the Spanish government nor the European Union have told us the details,” he said, warning that without transparency, locals fear Gibraltar will have come out on top in the negotiations, at the expense of neighbouring towns.
Landaluce pointed to issues such as cross-border trade, taxation, the environment and housing prices, stressing that a bad deal could damage local shops, workers and even the vital Port of Algeciras.
“We want the best agreement, but it must not mean Gibraltar wins and the Campo de Gibraltar loses,” he said.
Ellis also visited Estepona, where Mayor Jose Maria Garcia Urbano focused on closer cooperation rather than confrontation.
With more than 4,500 Britons officially resident in the town, around 6% of the population, and one in five hotel guests from the UK, he underlined Estepona’s strong links with Britain.
“This reflects the deep connection between our municipality and the UK, both in tourism and in society,” Garcia Urbano said.
The ambassador met with councillors and several British associations in Estepona, thanking them for their work supporting older residents and strengthening community networks.
“The British community here is a bridge between our countries,” Ellis said.
The visits highlight the two faces of Britain’s relationship with southern Spain: a settled, active British community along the Costa del Sol, and simmering unease in the Campo de Gibraltar as talks on a long-awaited EU-UK treaty drag on.
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