The Ministry of Defence, as almost a matter of routine, is having none of claims that HMS Westminster’s visit is tied to the current stand-off with Spain over access to the Rock. The Type 23 frigate is part of a four-month exercise by a task group to the Mediterranean and Gulf region.
The MoD says it has been planned for a long time, and will involve exercises and visits with allies in the region, including Turkey, Greece and Albania. But news of HMS Westminster’s visit coincides with more restrictions by Spain leading to long queues at the international border crossing to Gibraltar. There are persistent rumours that Spain wants to impose a tax of £43 (€50) on each car.
One of the ironies, not lost on either Gibraltarians or Spaniards, is that the task group for Exercise Cougar is led by helicopter carrier Illustrious and four assault ships with several thousand men of 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines. The Marines first seized the Rock for Britain in 1704, and it became their first battle honour. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain at the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, but Spain insists this was not permanent.
The latest flare-up is one of the sharpest for some time. But for all the heated tempers in the baking midday sun at Gibraltar’s frontiers, it is inconceivable that Britain and Spain, who work very closely in Nato and the UN, could come to serious blows.
At one level, HMS Westminster’s showing the flag, and its whiff of gunboat diplomacy, seem a touch old-fashioned — like the bright red pillar boxes and phone boxes on the Rock. But the row exposes serious issues. Gibraltar will stay attached to Britain as long its citizens want — the same principle of self-determination that holds for the Falkland Islands.
Exercise Cougar 13, with its 10 major ships, is also a sign of the future. This kind of task force is sure to be enhanced in forthcoming defence reviews, as it is seen vital in fighting piracy and terrorism, and securing supplies of food, oil and gas. By 2020 these groups will be led by one of the two new aircraft carriers, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince of Wales.
