How On Earth Can Spain Have Any Legit Claim Over Gib?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23724066
It was ceded by Spain in a treaty in 1713, it's like me giving something away and then claiming it back later. What has happenned in the interim that makes Spain think it can ask for it back?

[netibiza]

Spain has the intelligence of a 3 yr old and acts like it sometimes.

[vetuste_ennemi]

You might argue that the Treaty of Utrecht was signed under duress, although what taht amounts to in terms of international law who knows?. We also got Minorca at the same time. Don't know when that reverted to Spain.

[ToraToraTora]

I think you are being generous there, netty!

[ToraToraTora]

Hang on you mean they've stolen minorca!

[Prudie]

Don't you think it's just something to rally their people against to take their minds off their depressing economy and opportunities for its young people?

[Sqad]

V.E.M

Menorca was repossessed by Spain by the terms of the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.

The Menorceans that I have spoken to have no interest in Spain claiming Gibralter.

[Sqad]

Prudie........exactly.

[Prudie]

Who'd want it anyway, those macaques are a liability!

[youngmafbog]

Is Spain also intending to 'give back' its overseas territories?

Surely it is up to the population who they are allied to. End of.

[sandyRoe]

I'm surprised that the UK surrendered Hong Kong so easily. 99% of the population, if they'd had a vote, would probably have declined the opportunity to live under red authority.

[ummmm]

Jordyboy...this is news. Why are you posting music?

[EDDIE51]

Sandy, we only leased Hong Kong the lease expired and we had to give it back to the owners, we had no claim on it after the lease expired.

[Old_Geezer]

True, but we could have put in an offer :-)

[netibiza]

Prudie - I think you have hit the nail on the head. We all think this is to cover Rajoy's money mishandlings and bribes....

[jake-the-peg]

It's not entirely 'end of' YMB with regard to the population's wishes - we had to hand back Hong Kong at the end of the lease but that is not the situation here and I don't see any grounds for them to claim it.

But this isn't about them claiming Gibralta is it?

This is about fishing off of it and the reef created there

If you look at what's been built unilaterally they do have a bit of a point

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69117000/jpg/_69117326_gibraltar_artificial_reef_464.jpg

But this is not the way of going about protesting it

[ToraToraTora]

sandy, hong kong was a simple 99 year lease, you'd be the first one whining if we did not honour that deal.

[ToraToraTora]

jake, they are arguing about fishing and the reef but that's just the latest handle on the situation. Spain have always coveted it.

[brionon]

The claim is just a ruse to get the population to forget the Cock-up the government has made of the Crisis.

[emmie]

it doesn't, and its mere sabre rattling to deflect from the spanish doo doo they are in.