Gibraltar Will Be Protected "All The Way"

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said that the government will "look after Gibraltar".

Speaking with BBC's Eddie Mair, Sir Fallon said that the overseas territory will be protected "all the way":

"The sovereignty of Gibraltar cannot be changed without the agreement of the people of Gibraltar, and they made it very clear that they don't want to live under Spanish rule"

The statement was made after the European Council's guidelines for Brexit negotiations appeared to offer Spain a veto on the territory's future.

Sources have told Sky News that the Prime Minister called the Chief Minister of Gibraltar on Sunday to reiterate the long-standing position that the UK remains steadfastly committed to support Gibraltar, its people and its economy.

Fabian Picardo has earlier stated that this is a "disgraceful attempt by Spain to manipulate the European Council for its own, narrow, political interests".

The draft text published by Council president Donald Tusk state that after Brexit, no agreement between the EU and the UK will apply to Gibraltar unless agreed by Madrid.

Mr Tusk states in his nine-page document:

"After the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom."

Clare Moody, the Labour MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, said Theresa May should have stood up for the Rock in her letter triggering the Brexit negotiations:

"It is the UK's government job to represent the people of Gibraltar, and I was amazed that they failed to do that in the letter that they sent on Wednesday"

Spain has a long-standing territorial claim on Gibraltar, which has been held by the UK since 1713 and currently has the status of British Overseas Territory.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister said that the UK is "absolutely steadfast in our support of Gibraltar, its people and its economy":

"We have been firm in our commitment never to enter arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes, nor to enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content."

Any decision on the self-governing territory, which is home to important military bases, will impact its 30,000 inhabitants.

In 2002, Gibraltarians have rejected the proposal of a joint sovereignty between Britain and Spain in a referendum.

With more than 95% of voters in the territory having voted to remain in the EU, calls for joint sovereignty have increased following the Brexit vote.