The British Government can do nothing more than it is doing to express its displeasure at the Gibraltarian First Minister Fabian Picardo's actions in placing a concrete underwater monument to himself in disputed and toxic waters - attracting seabirds to the end of one of the world's most dangerous runways.

The vanity of the man in not backing down will expose many tourists to intolerable delays.

Even David Cameron's deliberate action in flying through Gibraltar airspace to go swimming in the warm waters of Spanish Lanzarotte last Easter, has not yet registered with the Gibraltarian propaganda merchants.

I'm afraid it will take an election in Gibraltar to remove the current Gibraltarian Socialist party before this is resolved.

So what was the reason for the delays before that particular part of the reef was laid?

if you are not interested don't post
simples

Simple there was a y in the day

not lions but jaguar
Unhappy Jaguar XF owner protests in India, says donkeys are better

Why, I love some of Freds posts and the replies, it the equivalent of watching an old Ealing Comedy in Black and White.
I am just waiting for references to the Raj to start creeping in.
If you think that a conservative government is not showing any interest what would it be like if millepede got in.

Spain has an obligation to its partners in the Schengen Agreement to safeguard its borders.

Gibraltar by way of Britain is not party to that agreement.

The EU cannot have people floating across the straits on a lilo, and then wandering across an unguarded border from Gib into Spain.

UKIP supporters will get the drift of what I'm on about.

So why does she not treat every flight and ferry from the UK in a similar manner ??

Because the British Government would take an extremely dim view of the Spanish authorities imposing any delay on British passport holders being held up at borders by checks on the validity of of their travel documents and what the same could be bringing into the country against the laws of the Kingdom of Spain.

No, wait...I'm wrong.

Gib would never allow unfettered access from the land, sea or air
they (and the UK) would have to take responsibility for the lilo brigade

and WTF has UKIP got to do with it? another Mr Nasty attempt to derail a thread???

Spanish fishermen and police boats included ?

You need to make your mind up; are the queues long because Spain has to guard its border or because Gibraltar extended their reef?

Where do you get the information upon which you base your impressions re. the Gibraltar situation? I ask because on this subject you are, uncharacteristically, way off.

As you may know from passing through various borders, the checks on travel documents and anything you might wish to bring into the country are time consuming. Try getting into the US for example.

The reef you are referring to was initially laid in 1973 (correct me if I am wrong) before Franco kicked the bucket. Franco wanted ALL of Gibraltar back, so wasn't worried about what was happening in disputed waters.

Forty years later, the Gibraltarian Government felt an urgent need to extend the reef in disputed waters.

The Spanish have had to retaliate against the Gibraltarians (not the British) on this and have taken the gentle way of adopting "a work to rule" as regards the border.

Far better than having them lob a couple of rounds on the runway to make their point.

An Egyptian friend once pointed out that there were more Mercedes in Cairo than in London. I agreed and said that there were also many more donkeys on the streets too.
M

I have been in and out of the US 6 times in the last few months including driving across the US- Canada border, at no time was there any delay and my documents only received cursory checks.
In fact leaving US driving into Canada there were no checks, not even a check point on the US side, whereas leaving Spain to drive into Gib one first has to pass through the machine gun toting THUG SQUAD then Spanish customs before reaching their passport / every bit of paper they can think of control.

All Gib waters are disputed by Spain including at times those enclosed within the harbour, therefore any and all work taking place in Gib waters is condemned by Spain.
If one takes a look at the Westside developement inside the harbour ( Morissons/ hospital etc area ) this was heavily attacked by the Spanish at the time.

The Gib governmet yesterday announced a developement on the East side and are asking for statements of interest. Spain has already attacked that develoment before this anouncement.

The reef has been a constant developement since 1973.

Until someone lobs a few rounds this dispute will never be settled.