EU REFERENDU

Id not wager money on either

side; I fear we will all be losers

Ambassa
that ther
to registe

Sir Graham Watson EU Counsel to HM Government of Gibraltar

Simon Manley was in

Malaga last week to
meet with expat
representatives and
spread the voter
registration message

Sir Graham, who is the

head of the Gibraltar office
in Brussels, has concerns
about the effects a vote to
leave the EU would have
on the UK and the Rock

:: RACHEL HAYNES

:: DEBBIE BARTLETT
GIBRALTAR. Sir Graham Watson
was the Liberal Democrat MEP for
South-West England, the constituency which includes Gibraltar, from
1994 to 2014. He believes people
need to be more aware of the dangers of Brexit.
Have you decided how to vote in
the EU Referendum?
Yes. Definitely to remain!
How would Brexit affect Gibraltar?
It would make Madrid even more
aggressive in its attempts to regain
control of the Rock, even at the cost
of 10,000 jobs in Andaluca.
How would it affect you and others
who work in other EU countries?
Certainly not positively. We currently have an automatic right to
reside, settle, study, work, retire,
marry, own property and even seek
cost-free medical treatment in other
EU countries. All that would be put
at risk.
How do you think it would affect
Britain in general?
We would lose standing in the
world; our voice would count for
less. We would lose investment and
jobs because we would no longer
be part of the single market. Our
own Conservative government
would almost certainly repeal the
environmental protections which
we gain through EU law, and possibly the workers rights too. And
we would lose in security terms
from not being part of police and
judicial cooperation in the fight
against crime.

Sir Graham Watson. :: EFE

We would lose our

standing in the world if we
leave the EU, our voice
would count for less
Madrid would become
even more aggressive in
its attempts to regain
control of Gibraltar
What effect do you think there
would be on the rest of the EU in
the event of Brexit?
With luck not much; but it would
be weaker. And also less stable.
What do you think of the campaign
so far?
Pathetic. To quote W B Yeats, The
best lack all conviction and the worst
are full of passionate intensity.
What is missing from the campaign?
Passion! A defence of the good things
about the EU! A vision of what it
could become if the UK played a

leading role rather than carping from

the sidelines!
What message would you like to
get across to those who can vote
in the EU referendum?
Wake up! Realise how 40 years of
venom in the press and the absence
of political leadership have created
a real danger that people will vote
to leave.
What do you think the result of
the referendum will be?
Its anybodys guess. Id not wager
money on either side winning. And
I fear we could all be the losers.
If the vote is for Brexit, what would
happen next?
Ten years of effort trying to get back
into all the arrangements we need
with other countries to cope with the
challenges of globalisation. Against
the backdrop of a weaker pound and
plummeting property values.
If the vote is to Remain in the EU,
do you think that will be the end
of the matter?
It all depends on the margin. If UK
citizens tell the swivel-eyed loons
on Vote Leave where to go in no uncertain terms, it could be.

MALAGA. British national

dent in Spain who are eligi
vote in the UKs EU referendu
23 June are being encouraged
ister before 16 May.
Ambassador Simon M
brought his message to Mala
Friday, urging British reside
Spain to take part in this on
a-generation opportunity.
The response to the Ele
Commissions campaign to e
age Brits overseas to register t
is very encouraging, said M
explaining that the UK govern
voter registration website is g
1,000 hits a day from users in
Since the beginning of the yea
than 80,000 people in Spain
visited the www.gov.uk/reg
to-vote site.
The ambassador remind
pats that it only takes five m

Ambassador Simon Manle

BRITISH FOOD SP