- Andalucia
- Almeria
- Cadiz
- Cordoba
- Granada
- Huelva
- Jaen
- Malaga
- Sevilla
- National
- Gibraltar
- Features
- Business & Finance
- Crime
- Food & Drink
- Entertainment
- Environment
- Health
- Nature
- News Features
- Property
- Sport
- Travel
- Blogs
- Caitlyn Slivinski
- Carolyn Emmett
- Charlotte Hanson
- Craig Scott
- Hannah's España
- John Woodhead
- Paul Whitelock
- Andalucia Property Search
- Almeria
- Cadiz
- Cordoba
- Granada
- Malaga
- Murcia
- Sevilla
- Advertise
- News Archives

Green Guide-
Malaga

12°C, Partly Cloudy
H: 14°C | L: 6°C -
Granada

9°C, Partly Cloudy
H: 12°C | L: -2°C -
Almeria

12°C, Fair
H: 14°C | L: 6°C -
Seville

15°C, Fair
H: 18°C | L: 2°C
Tony Blair agreed to give Gibraltar to Spain
January 26, 2012 • Gibraltar, Lead • 15 Comments
|
• The former UK Prime Minister made a secret deal, says Peter Hain's book |
TONY Blair agreed to a secret deal to hand Gibraltar over to Spain, claims a former cabinet minister.
In a sensational new book, Peter Hain insists that he and Jack Straw struck a joint sovereignty deal with the Spanish government in 2002 after being given the green light by the former Prime Minister.
In his memoirs, Hain reveals that Blair was keen to win the support of Spain in order to strengthen his hand in Europe.
The former Europe Minister also accused Gibraltarian leaders of being stuck in the past, while he describes Blair’s attitude towards the Rock’s inhabitants as ‘contemptuous’.
The deal was scuppered following resistance from Spanish ‘hardliners’ who insisted on full sovereignty.
Reader Comments »
Messages will be moderated or deleted if they:
• Are considered likely to disrupt, provoke, attack or offend others
• Are racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit, abusive or otherwise objectionable
• Contain swear words or other language likely to offend
• Break the law or condone or encourage unlawful activity. This includes breach of copyright, defamation and contempt of court
• Advertise products or services for profit or gain
• Are seen to impersonate someone else
• Include contact details such as phone numbers, postal or email addresses
• Describe or encourage activities which could endanger the safety or well-being of others
LATEST NEWS FROM THE OLIVE PRESS
- Nerja caves discovery will bring more visitors, it is hoped
- Andalucian Junta’s ‘reptile fund’ cover-up
- Spanish treasure hoard finally coming home
- Blondie’s a foxy young lady
- Spain’s longest-serving prisoner a free man at last
- Protests in Spain after students dubbed ‘the enemy’
- Trouble in paradise on Channel 4
- Spain-loving ‘Fleet Street legend’ dies age 71
- EU reaches agreement on Greece bailout
- Focus on EU finance meeting in Brussels
LATEST COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
- Ben on Andalucian Junta’s ‘reptile fund’ cover-up
- Cul Tural-Heritage on Spanish treasure hoard finally coming home
- Al Capone on Spain’s longest-serving prisoner a free man at last
- Gresham on Spanish treasure hoard finally coming home
- Cul Tural-Heritage on Spanish treasure hoard finally coming home
- Soberanista on Spanish treasure hoard finally coming home
- sam on I saw Maddie in a supermarket on the Costa del Sol
- Stuart Crawford on British-style school for Velez-Malaga
- Fred on Spain’s longest-serving prisoner a free man at last
- PaoloChicago on No Enigma!
Related Articles »
Cherie Blair to speak on Gibraltar
October 23, 2011 | Gibraltar
The wife of beleaguered ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair is to give the Sir Joshua Hassan Lecture
Gibraltar chief minister tells Spain to get its priorities straight
February 1, 2012 | Gibraltar Lead
Fabian Picardo calls on neighbouring country to drop the sovereignty claim and become friends
British minister’s Gib comments spark angry Spanish response
February 2, 2012 | Gibraltar Lead
Jose Garcia-Margallo claims Britain’s stance on sovereignty breaches agreements
Gibraltar set to reveal all
May 11, 2010 | Andalucia Business & Finance Gibraltar National News
The Rock’s days as a tax haven may soon be over after it began fiscal talks with Spain
ASBOs reach Gibraltar
May 22, 2011 | Gibraltar Lead2
Anti Social Behaviour Orders are introduced in Gibraltar as Britain actually looks set to axe them
New dawn for Gibraltar
December 14, 2011 | Gibraltar
PP party first to congratulate new Chief Minister Picardo after ousting 15 year leader Caruana

no great surprise ….. he gave away everything that the british hold dear so why not gibraltar ….. He was a man without moral or standards who bastardised the labour party and all it stood for .
He entered a illegal war based on his lies he became Americas lap dog and will go down in history as a failure .
Was’nt it Shakespeare who said “kill all the lawyers”.
This piece of excrement sold his soul a long time ago. In 1997 the whole country was looking for a real change, just imagine if he really had principles – had re-instated city regulations that the evil hag had done away with; brought in a capital gains tax on all property – just those two measures would have meant a totally different Britain today.
So he was prepared to sell the people of Gibralter down the river for his own benefit – at least he was consistent in that – shyster is too kind a word to describe that piece of crap.
those comments have been copied from other news pages. no imagination left?
son of a bitch! bastard!! Gibraltar will always be british!
Someone knows HONG KONG?
The united kingdom will agree with Spain when they need a spanish support or when Spain will stronger than them.
Or when spain will be richer than UK, llanitos will move their “desires”.
Wrong AA,
Hong Kong was leased from China. Lease ended and we handed it back, Gibralter was’nt leased.
The Falklands is something else – Spanish conquistadores slaughtered most of the indigenous population of what is now Argentina and encouraged lots of Italians to come over and now they have the brassneck to demand the Falkland Islands back calling the Brits colonialists – same old hypocrytical Spanish.
Come on Spanish colonialists give up your enclaves in Morocco – thought not.
Stuart, i cant agree with you.
1 Hong Kong new territories was leased for 99 years, but the rest of Hong Kong was ceded in perpetuity. The main difference between Gibraltar and Hong Kong is the chinese military power.
2 In my opinion, Las malvinas (the british Faklands)are a colony like Gibraltar: Native population was expulsed and a strategic Crown colony declared.
3 Ceuta, Melilla y las plazas menores de Soberanía are a Spanish mainland. They never were a colony, they were reconquest in the same period than Spain. If you think that ceuta is a morrocan city,Sevilla, Granado or Toledo should be too.
U.N declare that The crown colonies are colonies. Gibraltar never was a part of Uk.
Good heavens AA, where did your profound historical knowledge come from ?
You know mustn’t believe the old village donkey (even though your evident talent to communicate with him are well worth mentioning, maybe you could be the next Dr. Doolittle ?) ) anyway don’t take him too serious when he gives you lessons …..
Sir biff, sometimes i feel bored…. and i read the wikipedia……..
It´s more an exercise to “practice” english than a real discussion with Stuart. In this world, “nadie convence a nadie”. No one convince someone.
A.A. Sir Biff. Bloody hilarious. What a double act. Dali could take lessons from you two.Are you really two different people? Whatever… more!
AA, my consejo is: Have a drink, even if your name tells you otherwise….. I agree that we or anybody else will ever “convence a algien de algo” but we can have fun preaching our opinions ……
AA,
The Falkland islands were uninhabited – no indigenous population – what part of this don’t you understand?
Further Kirchner is of Spanish mass murdering colonist blood. The Spanish were conducting extermination campaigns against the indigenous peoples of the land that they the Spanish call Argentina as late as the 1800s’
What medication are you taking – the Spanish enclaves are situated in the continent known as Africa and yes it was the Arab and Jewish Semites who constructed those Andalucian cities and today are inhabited by descendants of those same Semites.
So many of you Spanish are so weak mentally – it does seem the only thing you excel in is denial syndrome.
Stefanjo, i´m a little bit crazy ( i´m answer you….) but i´m not multiple personality…. My psichiatrist and the judge are sure in this point….;)
Sir Biff, It´s a good “consejo”. A polite conversation about a polemic theme is a good form to spent the time.
Dear Stuart, be cold, please…. It isn´t so polite to tell morish to a spaniard and “weak mentally” to arabs and jews in the same post.
I understand that UK has Gibraltar and Malvinas: It´s stronger and richer. Both are strategic places. Gates of mediterranean sea and south atlantic (and oil) control. If i were english, i would support this colonies. But I would never have denied the spanish and argentinian historical rights: I would spoke about conquest rights and military superiority.
Aw, come on Stuart, they’re pretty good at acting daft and fibbing as well.
AA,
I’m now convinced that you have been sectioned in a secure place but before that you must have been brainwashed by Jesuits – they are very good at that.
Of course centuries ago if you failed to accept the domination of the Catholic mafia you were first tortured by the Inquistion then burned alive – great way to ‘educate’ people.
You Spanish once controlled vast areas of the planet and stole unimaginable wealth and then squandered it all – pretty much what you have done with all the billions stupidly given to you by the chumps in northern Europe.