Former MoD adviser says Navy warships should be sent to Gibraltar

Britain should send Navy warships to Gibraltar to stave off the threat posed by Spain's push for joint sovereignty, according to a former adviser for the Ministry of Defence.

Luke Coffey argued it was a necessary measure to protect The Rock during negotiations for Britain's exit from the European Union.

Coffey is the director of the Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, and has made the claim despite consistent votes from residents in the region to remain a British territory.

96% of Gibraltar citizens voted to remain in the EU during the Brexit referendum, but the Leave campaign narrowly won the vote, and now negotiations surrounding the triggering of Article 50 have begun.

The Spanish government were quick to call for a sharing of sovereignty after the vote to leave, with foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo being snubbed by Westminster.

“First and foremost, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, Michael Fallon, and David Davis should make a joint visit to Gibraltar as soon as possible,” Coffey wrote in Conservative Home.

“The Ministry of Defence should also make a grand gesture by increasing the Royal Navy’s visible presence in Gibraltar. This would send an important message to the Gibraltarians.”

He added that Spain's actions were "anachronistic, and that Britain should be ready for any scenario.

“The UK needs to prepare for the worst. This could include maintaining a robust air bridge if the land border is closed.

Gibraltar rests at the foot of the Iberian Peninsula, and has been the focus of a diplomatic struggle between Britain and Spain for many years.