CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 94

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we should then go ahead with the referendum. When further talks were held

with the Spanish Government it was likely that the Spanish reactions to

our proposals would be hostile, but we should not be deflected by this. If, however, the Spanish Government hinted at the possibility of a

modus vivendi we should be prepared to slow down our programme and explore

the Spanish position. In further discussion at the United Nations we

should present the referendum as a significant measure of "decolcnisåtion".

After the referendum we should hold discussions with representatives of the

people of Gibraltar for the framing of a new Constitution.

At the United Nations the presentation of the choice of free association with Britain under new constitutional arrangements as a significant measure

of decolonisation in accordance with the wishes of the people of Gibraltar

was of crucial importance. In the case of Gibraltar it would not be

possible fully to satisfy the criteria for "free association" as this had

come to be defined at the United Nations; it would be necessary to preserve

to the United Kingdon overriding powers in defence, internal security and

external relations, and the new constitutional arrangements could in essence

differ little from the existing ones. Nevertheless, everything possible

should be done to give the new Constitution a new guise. In order to safe-

guard our position at Gibraltar and the interests of the Gibraltarians our

objective should be to make it as difficult as possible for the Spanish

Government to get their case endorsed at the United Nations.

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (MRS. HART) said that

she agreed that in the absence of a settlement with Spain we should maintain

the status quo and make it as difficult as possible for Spain to win United

Nations support. She also agreed that our most effective course was to

demonstrate the wishes of the people of Gibraltar by referendum, While,

however we had supported the United Nations Resolution calling for

decolonisation, there was a point beyond which (unless and until Gibraltar reverted to Spain) we could not give up British control. We had therefore

placed it on record, when voting for the Resolution, that we could not

accept that the wording of this particular paragraph could be taken to

pre-judge in any way the question what type of decolonisation would best fit

the circumstances of Gibraltar. Because of the underlying realities of the

situation we should not offer "free association" with the United Kingdom

under new constitutional arrangements as one choice in the referendum.

would not only be regarded as misleading to the people of Gibraltar but

would also lay us open to the accusation of deliberately misleading the

This

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