Gibraltar is British by shared values, history, culture, law, and self-determination. Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory (BOT) on the Southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, Gibraltarians have soundly and surely rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum, and for shared sovereignty in a 2002 referendum.

The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a massive point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations and probably always will be for historic and cultural reasons. Spain asserts an absurd claim over Gibraltar, but the British people and Gibraltarians do not agree and consider the status quo a much better arrangement for everyone.  I respect Gibraltar's right to self-determination, and so should Spain. 

On 31 January 2020, the UK and Gibraltar left the European Union. So, now Britain and Gibraltar are free (in some aspects) from European Union (EU) tyranny, chaos, and bureaucracy. Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit) should and must be observed as an unrivaled opportunity for greater investment in British Overseas Territories (BOT) around the globe. Brexit Britain, the Commonwealth, the British Overseas Territories, and British Unionism are all aspects of our country we should all be very humbled by and should not be forgotten in a hurry. 

Ever since the 18th Century, Gibraltar has been seen as an undeniable symbol of British Naval strength, and it is commonly referred to as "The Rock". 

There are around 500 species of small flowering plants in Gibraltar. The Gibraltar candytuft is a flower native only to the Rock. Pine trees and wild olives grow on the Upper Rock. There are many mammals in Gibraltar. Rabbits, foxes, and Barbary macaques road the Rock. 

Gibraltar is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and is self-governing in all matters but Defence. They are a self-governing British Overseas Territory (BOT).

Roughly four-fifths of the population in Gibraltar is considered Gibraltarian, which includes those born in Gibraltar before 1925 and their descendants, as well as the spouses of Gibraltarians. The remainders are resident aliens and the families of British military personnel. Most Gibraltarians are of mixed Genoese, British, Spanish, Maltese, and Portuguese descent. 

I would argue that Gibraltar is British, they are a modern-day symbol of British Naval domination in the Mediterranean, Gibraltarians have always and will always reject Spanish proposals for "shared sovereignty" and historically and politically speaking they have declared themselves British before Spanish. The Rock is also a symbol of pride for the British and Gibraltarians alike, it is a bastion of hope, strength, and enduring ingenuity. The British public respects, admires, and appreciates  Gibraltar's right to decide its own future and we always will do.     

By Zack Culshaw