Gibraltar sovereignty once more demanded in Spain

Yesterday, in the Spanish 'Congreso', in a rare display of unity, the ruling PSOE and the PP opposition parties came together in demands (once again) over the sovereignty of Gibraltar!

When will Spain ever 'stop banging on about Gibraltar's sovereignty'?

During a meeting of the Foreign Commission the PP and PSOE both urged the government to reopen its negotiations with the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of Gibraltar.

In fact, the demand for sovereignty over Gibraltar to be returned to Spain, is officially included in every Spanish legislature.

The PP asked for firmness in the face of the "uninterested attitude" displayed by the Prime (sic) Minister of Gibraltar. What a damn cheek... and it's CHIEF Minister... get it right!

That guiding light of the right wing PP main opposition party, José Ignacio Landaluce (right), a member of parliament, stirred the diplomatic pot by stressing "the damage that Gibraltar caused Spain" through its "fiscal and environmental policies".

He negated to stress the damage that Spain's CEPSA oil refinery does to the health of the people of Gibraltar and all communities (Spanish) surrounding the Bay of Gibraltar in the Campo de Gibraltar area... or the damage that Spain's constant restrictions at the frontier does commercially (and otherwise) to the people of Gibraltar and their own community of La Linea!

Rafael Román, his perhaps more reasonable counterpart and fellow member of parliament for the PSOE, proposed two lines of action. The first is to "reclaim the right over the sovereignty of Gibraltar" and the second is "the adoption of measures to win the confidence of Gibraltarians".

What I want to know is... when will Spain ever mature democratically? Will Spain ever learn from the example of Portugal... in the context of Olivença as Daniel Hannan so eloquently argues? When will Spain ever accept once and for all, the freely expressed wishes of the people of Gibraltar?

The only way Spain will EVER win the confidence of the people of Gibraltar... is the day when Spain acts more maturely in their democracy... in a fair and reasonable manner... and finally accepts Gibraltar's freely expressed wishes of self determination... renouncing once and for all, the anachronism of the Treaty of Utrecht and all Spanish claims to the sovereignty of Gibraltar!

Gibraltar belongs to the People of Gibraltar. It is neither Spain's to claim nor Britain's to give away!