Gibraltar leaders fly to London for Brexit talks with MPs ahead of crucial vote

REMAIN: Picardo and Garcia met with Hilary Benn, who campaigned to for the UK to stay in the EU

THE Rock’s leaders have met with several UK MPs in Westminster in a bid to strengthen Brexit arrangements for Gibraltar.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his deputy Joseph Garcia held meetings with five prominent UK Government Ministers.

They included prominent Brexiteer Bernard Jenkin, remain vote campaigner Nicky Morgan and Bob Neill, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gibraltar.

Among the Labour MPs to speak with Picardo and Garcia were the Shadow Brexit Secretary Kier Starmer and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.

LEAVE: The Rock leaders spoke to Bernard Jenkin, a prominent campaigner for the UK to exit the EU

No formal agreements were made, but Picardo said progress was made on explaining Gibraltar’s Brexit position to MPs.

“The strategy of the Government in keeping parliamentarians abreast of developments in Gibraltar continues to work,” said the Chief Minister.

It comes as MPs are set to vote on amendments to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal on Tuesday.

Conservative MPs have been ordered to back an alternative to the Irish backstop, a guarantee of a frictionless border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile various cross-party groups of MPs have tabled proposals that include measures to rule out a no-deal exit from the EU and to delay the exit date of March 29.