There will be a “a completely different Gibraltar” without a negotiated Brexit deal for the Rock, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told GBC’s Direct Democracy on Tuesday night.
Responding to questions from the public, the Chief Minister said he remained “optimistic” that a “safe and secure” treaty for Gibraltar could be agreed within the parameters set out in the New Year’s Eve framework agreement.
But he underlined too that the Gibraltar Government, working closely with the UK Government, has been preparing in parallel for a “no negotiated outcome”.
“We have done a lot of work there, but let me tell you the truth, the unbridled truth because it is important that people hear it,” Mr Picardo told GBC’s News Editor, Christine Vasquez.
“No negotiated outcome does not mean that any Government of Gibraltar would be able to keep things exactly the same as they are.”
“It would be a very different outcome for Gibraltar to the one that we have lived day-to-day since we became members of the European Union and Spain became a member of the European Union and the frontier was open.”
“There will be a lot of obstacles in the way of fluidity at that frontier and that would cause a lot of logistical issues, also economic issues.”
“There is no way you can plan yourselves out of that with ferries or other systems.”
“It will be a completely different Gibraltar we will be dealing with.”
For now, the progress of the treaty talks remains under wraps, with neither Gibraltar, the UK, Spain or the European Commission offering any significant detail on the nature of the discussions.
Mr Picardo returned from Brussels last Friday evening and said he is confident a deal will be delivered, although his Government is not giving a “running commentary” at this stage of the negotiations in order to “tactically protect” certain things for the good for the people of Gibraltar.
“I am confident that that can be done in a way that preserves Gibraltar’s sovereignty, jurisdiction and control,” Mr Picardo said.
“This is a classic line we have been using since about 2010, that preserves all our equities in our sovereignty, jurisdiction and control.”
“And that deals with what Gibraltar wants the most, which is to ensure that all our issues over sovereignty are untouched by whatever it is that we agree about fluidity in immigration terms, fluidity in goods terms, but none of that affects our status or indeed our sovereignty in any way.”
“That is what we are determined to deliver.”
Responding to questions from members of the public, Mr Picardo said it is “possible” that an EU Negotiating team will come to Gibraltar for a “technical visit rather than a political visit”.
Mr Picardo denied the allegation that there cracks are beginning to show in his Government, adding that since coming into power 10 years ago, he has led a “hyperactive government”.
But he said the past 21 months have been a challenge for his Government, which has had to face the unprecedented challenges brought by both the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.
COVID PANDEMIC
On the issue of Covid-19, Mr Picardo said a lockdown would be a “last resort”, but that he could not completely rule out another lock down in Gibraltar in the event that there was a risk of life or to the provision of healthcare services.
Reflecting on the past 18 months, he said that prior to the first lockdown, he had never envisaged ever having to implement such draconian measures curtailing peoples’ freedoms.
A viewer asked about vaccine liability and what compensation would be available in the event that the Covid-19 vaccine led to a severe adverse reaction or even death.
The liability for any compensation will be absorbed by the UK Government “so long as the Overseas Territories handle the vaccine in the way that it is provided for”, Mr Picardo said.
He said this immunity was extended to all overseas territories when the UK was purchasing the Covid-19 vaccines.
Mr Picardo said Gibraltar has been “very lucky” in both obtaining a supply of vaccine and achieving a high take-up of the jabs.
“If you look at Gibraltar’s inoculation rate and you compare it to the places talking about the mandatory vaccine, it is because they need to get their up towards the level of coverage that we have had in Gibraltar,” the Chief Minister said.
“I therefore do not anticipate that we will ever consider a mandatory vaccine process.”
“But I have learnt in the context of Covid over the past 21 months that you cannot stare into a crystal ball and think you can see the answers.”
“Things that seem to be certain one day might be uncertain in another, in particular when you have people who are in charge of people who are vulnerable, and if you want to work with people who are vulnerable, different rules apply to you if you want to work in that particular department to the conditions that apply if you just wanted to live a general life.”
Mr Picardo said this is particular to the issue of teachers, adding that based on the advice of the Director of Public Health, there is “much greater risk” to children and other teachers if a teacher is unvaccinated, and therefore they would have to wear PPE while teaching.
But in the context of the general population, Mr Picardo does not envisage a British jurisdiction imposing a requirement for mandatory inoculation.
Addressing a question on why the take up for the Covid-19 booster is “less than 50%”, Mr Picardo said this was a “little more complex”.
“The GHA is trying to reach out to people for the booster but people are approaching the booster in a different way,” Mr Picardo said, because there is an element of weariness because of the side effects.
“They are getting their timings wrong, we are having issues which we didn’t have in the first roll out.”
“I don’t think there is a rejection of the booster, I think getting people to understand the importance of the booster now has been a bit more complicated.”
https://www.gbc.gi/tv/programmes/direct-democracy-123
46 min.