A third violation
The Spanish Navy has sent another warship into British waters deliberately entering the north side of the Bay of Gibraltar for the third time this month raising political tensions.
The war ship entered into British waters at 9am Saturday morning and Ukip’s Bill Etheridge a defence spokesman said that the United Nations security council must intervene as there is “continual provocation in Gibraltar” by Spain.
The other two deliberate incursions took place 4 April and 13 April where the Royal Navy sent HMS Scimitar to chase off the Infanta Christina.
The government of Gibraltar posted this video on Twitter showing the deliberate violation.
Illegal incursion into #British#GibraltarTerritorial Waters by Spanish Navy patrol ship Infanta Cristina this afternoon. #BGTWpic.twitter.com/IkYadi8XNn
— HM Govt of Gibraltar (@GibraltarGov) April 4, 2017
Spain still today claims sovereignty over Gibraltar that they themselves ceded to the UK in 1713.
However, in a 2002 referendum Gibraltar rejected the UK to share sovereignty with Spain by 99 per cent.
In March Donald Tusk drafted guidelines and suggested a veto for Spain on any future UK/EU agreements that involves Gibraltar.
Another Illegal incursion into #British#GibraltarTerritorial Waters by Spanish Navy ship Infanta Cristina today. #BGTW PC Stuart Poggio pic.twitter.com/K6T3hbeksJ
— HM Govt of Gibraltar (@GibraltarGov) April 13, 2017
Etheridge said that the EU had “overstepped international law with its demands to rewrite international law by giving Spain the power to decide British overseas territory.”
“The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties is the defining international agreement, not some tin pot EU document drawn up in a fit of rage.”
“Why is it that the EU now believes it is allowed to ignore international law, and the very first article of the convention, by threatening the people of Great Britain and Gibraltar with its land grab?”
“It seems to me that the guardians of international law now have to intervene and tell both Spain and the EU that they cannot continue to behave in this manner.”
“I have also written a parliamentary question on this subject to ask the EU why they feel they have the power of a supranational legal institution.”
“Sadly, successive UK governments have run down our own Armed Forces which may well encourage other countries to continually provoke us, as we have also seen in Russia.”
Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornbury visited the Rock this week and has guaranteed that Labour will guarantee Gibraltar’s sovereignty.
Today DCM briefed @EmilyThornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary on Brexit and issues with Gib’s border with Spain pic.twitter.com/l5roc1lDId
— HM Govt of Gibraltar (@GibraltarGov) April 27, 2017
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