Spain 'making people's lives a total misery' as furious new row explodes

The Spanish police caused huge queues on Friday by imposing surprise identity checks (Image: Getty)

Spain is ramping up the pressure on the people of Gibraltar and making their lives "a misery", a commentator has claimed.

This comes amid claims that Sir Keir Starmer's decision to surrender the Chagos Islands has emboldened Madrid's claims over the Rock.

GB News host Darren Grimes has issued a scathing tirade, saying that Britain's decision on Chagos had played right into Spain's hands.

The Spanish police caused huge queues on Friday by imposing surprise identity checks on the frontier with Gibraltar.

Madrid has warned London it intends to impose a permanent hard border that would severely hamper the movement of people and goods on both sides. Gibraltar's chief minister Fabien Ricardo has called the surprise checks on the border "hugely regrettable".

Mr Grimes responded: "This is just a sign of giving up British territory. We’re just losing the plot and we’re looking weak on the world stage. Gibraltar regards itself as being British, you go over there and it’s patriotism off the scale."

Darren Grimes issued a scathing tirade on Saturday over the situation in Gibratlar (Image: GB NEWS)

The GB News host called for Britain to fight against Spain's aggressive tactics.

He said: "We cannot allow the Spanish to clamp down and make their lives a total misery without fighting back a bit."

Meanwhile, former Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the Prime Minister had declared "open season" for Spaiin to press ahead with its claim to the Rock on the world stage.

Sir Michael told The Telegraph: "Surrendering the Chagos for fear of a potential international judgement will only encourage Spain to build up international support for its claim.

"The people of Gibraltar will worry now that they too could get dumped by a government that just doesn’t value its own territories."

London and Madrid remain in deadlocked talks over a deal to solve the post-Brexit uncertainty surrounding Gibraltar.

Britain is keen to ensure frictionless travel across the border to Spain. However, negotiations have stalled due to Madrid’s demands to have Spanish border guards on Gibraltan ground to police the border, which will be moved to the Gibraltar airport.

Following the Government's decision to give away the Chagos Islands to Mauritius last week, Mr Starmer insisted the Rock, ceded to Britain in 1715 after being captured from the French in 1704, would stay British.

Britain's decision to give up the Chagos Islands last week has sparked outrage (Image: Getty)

Sir Keir told the Commons that the sovereignty of Gibraltar was "not to be negotiated".

Foreign Secretary David Lammy also sought to calm concerns over territories including Gibraltar as well as the Falkland Islands.

He told the Commons: “I want to reassure the House and all members of the UK family worldwide that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories.

“British sovereignty on the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the sovereign base areas, is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable. This has been acknowledged across our overseas territories."