Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg was under pressure to declare that Gibraltar belongs to Britain today after his wife claimed it was Spanish.
asserted
it → declare → Britain
Lady Miriam Clegg, who is Spanish and running in the country’s national elections, insisted the Rock belongs to her country during a TV interview to promote her campaign.
But the remarks sparked a backlash given the prestigious ‘Lady’ and ‘Sir’ titles bestowed on the power couple by the British state.
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remarks → run → state
They also come after a controversial deal was struck between former premier Sir Keir Starmer and Brussels in July which means the peninsula has effectively become part of the European Union’s free movement Schengen zone despite being British.
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peninsula → come → zone
Branded a ‘surrender’ pact at the time, it eradicated the Spain-Gibraltar border crossing and means Britons have to show their passports to Spanish officials and face being refused entry despite it being UK territory.
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it → brand → entry
Control over the peninsula – important militarily because it sits at one of the world's busiest maritime choke points – has been disputed by London and Madrid since the tiny territory was ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
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territory → sit → Utrecht
It became a flashpoint during the Brexit negotiations, which Madrid used to try and wrestle back ownership.
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Madrid → become → ownership
Sir Nick has previously hinted that his wife, born in Olmedo, central Spain, considers Gibraltar Spanish
Lady Clegg appeared on En Boca de Todos (In the Mouth of Everyone), a tabloid-style TV programme in Spain, on Tuesday to promote her party
Asked by the interviewer: ‘Do you think Gibraltar is Spanish?’ she said: ‘Clearly yes.’
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she → hint → interviewer
Lady Clegg, who as a prominent feminist and high-flying international lawyer prefers to go by her maiden name of Miriam González Durántez, has launched a new Spanish liberal political party called Democracia21 which is to field candidates in Madrid and Barcelona.
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which → fly → Madrid
Spain’s premier Pedro Sánchez was forced into calling an early election this month for November 29 following humiliating defeats in the Spanish parliament on legislation aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis.
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Sánchez → force → crisis
Ms González Durántez appeared on En Boca de Todos (In the Mouth of Everyone), a tabloid-style TV programme, on Tuesday to promote her party.
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Durántez → appear → party
Asked by the interviewer: ‘Do you think Gibraltar is Spanish?’ she said: ‘Clearly yes.’
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she → ask → interviewer
She then added: ‘Why do you ask that question?
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you → add → question
Is it because you think we women think the same as our husbands do?’
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husbands → think → same
The interviewer, Nacho Abad, responded: ‘No, no, no; I´m just curious whether you argue…’
At which point Ms González Durántez shot back: ‘We have our own independent minds, don’t we?’
The interviewer goes on to ask: ‘Does your husband think Gibraltar is Spanish?’
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Gibraltar → respond → minds
She replies: ‘That again?
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She → reply → That
Well, let’s try not to talk about Gibraltar.
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’s → let → Gibraltar
He’ll defend his position, and I’ll defend mine.’
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I → defend → mine
But the comments sparked a backlash, with former Tory Brexit minister David Jones saying: ‘Nick Clegg is not, of course, responsible for his wife’s views, but he must surely have views of his own.
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he → spark → own
‘Now is the time for him to confirm the factual position: that Gibraltar is as British as his former constituency, Sheffield Hallam, and will always remain so.’
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Gibraltar → confirm → constituency
London and Madrid have disputed control of Gibraltar since the tiny territory was ceded to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht
Sir Nick has previously hinted that his wife, born in Olmedo, central Spain, considers Gibraltar Spanish
Tory MP Mark Francois added: ‘As Lady Clegg is currently running for the Spanish Parliament, it seems only fair to remind her that the people of Gibraltar voted by 99 per cent in a free and fair Referendum to remain British.
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people → dispute → Referendum
‘Spain is a NATO ally but that doesn’t mean they can get their hands on the Rock.’
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they → mean → Rock
Sir Nick, who was handed a knighthood in 2018 for being deputy PM in the 2010-2015 Coalition government, has previously hinted that his wife, born in Olmedo, central Spain, considers Gibraltar Spanish.
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Gibraltar → hand → Olmedo
During an exchange with then Tory MP Andrew Rosindell in the Commons in 2010, the ex-Liberal Democrat leader joked that Gibraltar ‘is a sensitive topic’ in his family home.
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Gibraltar → joke → home
Sir Nick was present at the launch of his wife’s party on Saturday in Madrid when she outlined how she wanted to create a party which stood for transparency after a series of corruption scandals that have hit Spain’s Socialists and the conservative People’s Party.
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that → outline → Socialists
Sir Nick and his wife moved into a £7million mansion in California after he landed a role as the Vice-President of Global Affairs and Communications for Facebook in late 2018.
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he → move → 2018
But he announced his resignation from the Silicon Valley giant in January last year and the couple now split their time between Spain and London.
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couple → announce → Spain
Sir Nick’s office was contacted for comment and asked whether he believes Gibraltar is Spanish or British.
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Gibraltar → contact → comment
The Aporia
