I like many people was shocked when a display by the Red Arrows over Minorca was cancelled this week over a row over Gibraltar. I am also quite amazed at the nightmare scenario some British citizens in Spain have been forced to live through over the exchange of their British driving licences. Spain has dug in its over the 180 days ruling (Britain citizens can only spend half a year in Spain if they are non-residents). Even though this is European Union ruling I am sure that Spain could have taken some action to ease the pain. If a British citizen wants to buy a home here in some cases they have to ask the military for permission. The list goes on. It is all Brexit related but Spain does not appear to be bending over backwards to help British residents unlike countries like Portugal. In fact, I was asked recently by a German resident of the island why the Brits were leaving Mallorca and moving to Portugal.
So are Britain and Spain still the best amigos? Well at first glance the answer is No. The British defence ministry cancelled the display by the Red Arrows in Minorca because of the fuss Spain was making over a similar event in Gibraltar. "No Gibraltar, No Minorca." In fact, one tabloid, quoting officials at the Ministry of Defence, said that "Spain couldn't have its paella and eat it." Minorca is proud of its British heritage, it was unfortunate that the British Ministry of Defence allegedly elected to punish the island in a tit-for-tat move over Gibraltar.
Britain contributes much to the Spanish economy. It is by far the biggest holiday market in the country, but gone are the days when Spain would devalue the peseta just because there had been a fall in the value of the pound which was affecting British tourism.
I would say that fences need to be mended between Britain and Spain. Gibraltar will always be a controversial issue but there is no place for tit-for-tat politics between two countries who have always been considered to be good friends.