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UK Ministers may soon endorse the
C
assurances in the contrary sense, local reaction to the move
F
may marginally add to the Governor's difficulties in
defending HMG's position and also to complicate the Chief
Minister's task, based on declared trust in Britain, of
establishing a local consensus about the Gibraltarians
objectives for their future in the context of an eventual
arrangement to be negotiated with Spain.
Probable
Gibraltarian misinterpretation of the administrative change
also needs to be looked at in the context of the present
Gibraltar is suffering
} '
situation and mood in Gibraltar.
i
from industrial ferment, with political overtones, Talks
I
*
with Bpain on 12 November resulted in pressure for HMG to take
more account of the views of opposition members of the House
of, Assembly in the conduct of Gibraltar's foreign affairs
(Gibraltar telno personal 208 attached)." HMG may be about to announce that the future of Gibraltar dockyard is under
recommendations of review, and that it may be closed.
the Nationality" Review that!" Gibraltarians to gether with other colonial citizens should receive a differentiated form of UK
citizenship which would be Hi.
universally
popular
Jocally.
Against this background the proposed merger would
makorda je
provide more ammunition for local Opposition demanda for
a settlement of Gibraltar's future before da they née it
all chance of avoiding on arrangement with Spain disappears.
to This would in turn tend to load unhelpful side-
all it unhelpful
effects on HMG!a policy of frankiaxxrestrictionary working.
towards a more fruitful understanding with Spain and the
lifting of frontier restrictions.
#
It is not my belief however that the proposed merger
is likely to complicate M's already somewhat difficult
situation vis-a-vis Gibraltar ofther decisively or indeed
very significantly, though it would be as well to sound out
Sir Joshua lesson (preferably after the dockyard decision has been taken and he tu informed of that) and to reconsider ir
Hois peaclim
meaction i
favourable moment
amumutralung ano
revy
BEL
aduerse
To wait for am
To
more
Guild mean largony undefintely the
loses of the chanse
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/which