'The EU is NOT serious' Fury as Brussels REJECTS Brexit amendments protecting Gibraltar

The European Parliament members voted in favour of the draft ‘red lines’ on Brexit discussions and voted down amendments, suggested by Ukip, which could have protected Gibraltar’s sovereignty while forcing the EU to end unlimited migration to Britain.

Ukip had suggested various amendments to the MEPs, which include allowing Britain to begin trade talks before the country leaves the union. 

The other changes were giving the UK the right to begin negotiations towards a trade agreement, protecting the sovereignty of Gibraltar, ending unlimited immigration from the EU in a Brexit deal.

The party has also stated EU courts must no longer overrule British ones and wants to end budgetary contributions to the bloc. 

The dispute with the British Overseas Territory came about after the EU Council said any Brexit deal would need to be agreed between Britain and Spain first. 

MEP Jonathan Arnott said: “We believe that the UK has the legal right to begin negotiations towards a trade agreement with third countries and that’s our amendment.”

Mr Arnott also wrote on Twitter: “By including Gibraltar in its guidelines, the EU has shown it’s not serious about getting round the negotiating table.”

Ukip MEP James Carver has accused his European Union colleagues of ignoring Spanish aggression over Gibraltar. 

Nigel Farage has supported calls from the party for the people of Gibraltar to be given a referendum to ask whether they want to become part of the UK. 

Mr Farage said that if Gibraltar becomes part of Britain, it can no longer be used as a bargaining chip in the EU-Brexit negotiations. 

During the debate in Strasbourg Manfred Weber, chairman of the largest group of MEPs, the centre-right European People’s Party, said: “Cherry-picking will not happen. A state outside the European Union will not have better conditions than a state inside the European Union.”