European Commission Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, together with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo, met in Brussels earlier today.
Following the success of the Rock Crafter’s inaugural craft fair in November, the group has announced that a second street fair is announced for Saturday 1st February on the Terrace of the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre. The first event was a raving success, with popular local cook, Binky’s Kitchen manning stall jam packed with her homemade preserves and cheese, along with a selection of other creative crafters offering homemade soaps, jewellery, cupcakes, fabric, wood and paper crafts, knitted items and more.
In response to questions regarding the Royal Navy’s presence in Gibraltar, Andrew Murrison (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence) has revealed that the last time there was a large warship permanently based in the Rock was in 1984 when the Tribal class destroyer HMS Gurkha left.
Shadow Europe Minister Gareth Thomas has this week urged Foreign Secretary William Hague to press the European Commission to take further action, following their visit to Gibraltar year, and their letter to the Gibraltar Government recommending that they further clamp down on tobacco smuggling between Gibraltar and Spain.
A video exposing the daily misery faced by cross-frontier workers has been posted on YouTube ahead of a demonstration against what have been described as the “disproportionate” and “disruptive” border checks conducted by the Spanish authorities.