That's about it - and it's why I think that there is nothing Gibraltar can really do about it.

Lots of Spaniards going to be late for dinner tonight

Obviously the Spanish Ambassador didn't enjoy his visit to the Foriegn Office

when I think about the number of times I have been to Gib and never bought a single cigarette

Looks like the Spanish army are getting mobilised... and just a little bit aroused....

Gib does get subsidies from the EU Structural Fund for small businesses - €5.8 million in the last 7-year period. That's quite a lot for a smallish town full of very profitable businesses.

Of course if they put the price of fags up a bit, they wouldn't have to take money from European taxpayers.
http://www.eufunding.gi/faq.html

it's about money
10,000 people crossing a day x EUR 50 = EUR 500,000 for the Spanish gvt
not bad
that's EUR 15 Million a month if 7/7
better than nothing.

Justin Webb: How close are we, do you think, to shots being fired?

CM: Well I certainly hope that we are not close to that, at all, and never will be. I think the point you are alluding to is a point made by Jim Dobbin, MP, who is the chairman of the All Party British Gibraltar Group, who made that reference as a result of Spanish Guardia Civil vessels coming into BGTW, without warning, coming in from the sun so to speak, where they are not visible to those who are carrying out refuelling or replenishment operations to British or American vessels in BGTW and who might them find themselves shot at because they are not identified as the vessel of a friendly nation even though that vessel may be doing something which is contrary to international law and they may be mistaken for terrorists. That is the issue and it’s a security issue that Spain needs to be aware of also.

Justin Webb: Fabian Picardo thank you very much.

http://www.yourgibraltartv.com/polit...ull-transcript

I don't understand this at all I'm afraid.

Me neither, unless of course Sam is under the impression that the threatened 50e charge for crossing the border was not only applied, but applied right across the board.

One for Fred with regard to the Spanish workers ?

Are there any feasible alternatives to employing them ?
Naturally for a variety of reasons they couldn't all be fired overnight, but could they be phased out in the long term if there were viable alternatives?

First thought crossed my mind was ferrying N.Africans in every morning to replace them, but just imagine what fun there'd be rounding them all back up on an evening to ship them back out again.

Second thought, what about shipping Portuguese in and out each day, the obvious difficulties there being a longer trip and the language problem.

Next thought, shipping Spanish in and out by ferry from a little further along the coast, though no doubt Rajoy and co would do their utmost to make that fraught with difficulties and delays as well.

Another possibility using UK workforce or staff from elsewhere in Europe.
A number of drawbacks there, incl much more costly, too many ppl on the rock with associated accommodation issues, restricted lifestyle etc,etc.

Any feasible alternatives so business can continue as normal without constant disruption by the bloody minded Spanish govt ?

Is the situation likely to improve if the present shower of sh!t get thrown out at the next election ?

Are we at war yet?

In the closed frontier days it was Moroccans who were employed to replace the previous Spanish workers, so it has already been done, however accommodation is a problem. They were housed in hostels.

There will always be problems of " shipping " the Spanish would just block any ferries used from Spain and from elsewhere the time factor would scupper daily trips.

There are many nationalities working on the Rock, however the accommodation problem is again the most difficult. La Linea benifitted immensly from property letting in the first few years after the frontier re-opened until their greed priced them out of the market. Of course that now also involves border crossing.

Most definitely.

Today the frontier has operated more normally but I can't see it lasting.

From my previous post the possibility of the GC being blown out of the water as terrorists had not previously crossed my mind.
It is now top of my whish list.

I have for some time recommended that those expats in Spain keep their cars well filled with fuel and a travel bag plus cash handy.

Rather than the million British expats living in Spain getting ready to leave, it would be a lot more sensible for the few thousand tax evaders in Gibraltar to be evicted from the Rock.

Nice to hear you side with the bully.