Spain warns of damage of no-deal Brexit, including for Gibraltar

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Thursday that a no-deal Brexit would be much more damaging for Spain and Britain, including the situation for the British territory of Gibraltar, than reaching a deal on future UK-EU relations.

In an interview with Catalan public radio, she called the possibility of a no-deal Brexit “an irresponsibility” but added that Spain had been preparing for that potential scenario.

Britain and the European Union will hold emergency talks on Thursday over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to undercut parts of the Brexit divorce treaty, a step Brussels has warned could scupper any chance of a trade deal.

After Britain explicitly stated that it would act outside international law by breaching the divorce treaty, EU negotiators are trying to gauge how to deal with London.

Britain signed the treaty and formally exited the EU in January, but remains within the single market until the end of this year under a status quo agreement.

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic will travel to London to meet British counterpart Michael Gove for the emergency talks alongside scheduled trade talks between chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost.