Analysis

Gibraltar, Scotland in Talks to Remain in EU

Those parts of the United Kingdom that voted to remain in the EU are not ready to accept the result.

Gibraltar is in talks with Scotland to find a way for both to remain in the EU, the BBC reports.

One possibility under discussion is for Gibraltar and Scotland, which both voted to stay in the EU, to maintain the United Kingdom’s membership of the bloc.

Northern Ireland, which also voted to remain, could potentially be included in the talks.

Majorities in England and Wales voted in a referendum on Thursday to leave the EU.

Farfetched

“I can imagine a situation where some parts of what is today the member state United Kingdom are stripped out and others remain,” Fabian Picardo, the territory’s chief minister, said.

That means that we don’t have to apply again for access, we simply remain with the access we have today and those parts that leave are then given a different sort of access.

It’s a little far-fetched.

Spain could block a deal for Gibraltar, seeing this as an opportunity to take back the Rock, even if nearly everyone living there wants to stay British.

Scotland, if it becomes independent, would have to reapply for EU membership as an independent nation with all the requirements that come with it, including joining the euro. Which may be a reason for many Scots not to secede after all.