TNAG-0006-FCO40-42-Constitutional-development-1968 — Page 22

economic point of view, is the status of Gibraltar.

On this key question of status the effect of the Act

would therefore be to reduce HKG. increasingly to a

passive role and inhibit then from taking any

initiative without first embarking on an elaborate

and public process of consultation with the Gibralter

electorate. Iven to talk about the possible

desirability of considering some chenge of status

would be exposed to attack as an attempt to circunvent

the Act.

Gibraltarian loaders themselves would to some

cxtent be similarly inhibited, because, having done

without such an Act for the first 2 centuries of

Gibraltar's British history, they could scarcely

start publicly talking about its emendment or repeal

within the measurable future. No policy which could

not immediately be explained and justified to the

Gibraltar mob would stand much chance. The Act

would therefore tend to transfer control of policy

to the Cibraltar mob, whose likely attitude can be

inferred from the recent riot against the Doves.

The act would therefore remove any incentive at

the Gibraltar end for a dialogue between the

Gibraltariana and Spain. which is of course the

objective of its promoters.

Yet in the absence of

such a dislogue it is difficult to see how the first

stops on the long road to an eventual solution

acceptable to all parties concerned could ever be taken.

commitment.

The hot would also create a standing military

Gibralter's present status can only be

preserved by the presence of military forces. Te

should be obliged to retain the necessary forces in

Gibraltar indefinitely as long as the Gibraltarians

would not let us repeal the Act and regardless of our

/own