“The people of Gibraltar want to stay under British rule, do they not?”
Yes they do. Or at least they did. In 2002 more than 98% (of an 88% turnout) voted against a proposal that sovereignty of the Rock should be shared between the UK and Spain. However, they also wanted to remain in the EU. They had their own referendum on June 23rd and the result was fed into the South West England count in the main referendum. Just under 96% of the 83% who voted ticked the “Remain” box. Unfortunately, unless they want to become a province of southern Spain, the Gibraltarians are stuck with the result. On reflection, perhaps this is the answer to Scotland’s quandary. They could break away from the UK and become a province of, say, Denmark or Holland. If they chose Denmark at least they would not have to adopt the euro.
This, as with most of the gumpf that has emerged in the last few days, is very much “handbags at dawn”. Both the UK and the EU will bluster and fluster stating their opening positions in the negotiations. Personally I think we should simply leave (and take Gibraltar with us) and just conduct business with the EU in the same way as any normal country does. There is far too much emphasis placed on the necessity for a trade agreement post Brexit and the blackmail that may ensue should one not be concluded. The EU has never managed to strike a trading agreement with any major nation and I see the UK being no different in that respect. But the bloc still trades perfectly well with other major economies. By all means get the status of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU formalised, sort out the air travel threat and one or two other matters. As for trade, we should simply revert to WTO terms (which will benefit the UK far more than it will the rest of the EU).