After three years and sixteen rounds of talks, London, Brussels, and Madrid have not managed to settle the status of Gibraltar in the wake of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. In that unsettled backdrop, it was announced that the current British ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, will depart after five years in the country, having been a central figure in the negotiations. Under his leadership in Madrid, the New Year’s Eve Agreement was signed on December 31, 2020, outlining the framework for pursuing a shared prosperity zone between the territory and the Cádiz province’s Campo de Gibraltar. The goal, as described by the Spanish Foreign Minister, is to remove the Verja barrier and move toward a more open and cooperative frontier.
Alex Ellis will succeed Elliott as His Majesty’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and non-resident ambassador to the Principality of Andorra. Ellis is set to arrive in Spain this summer, as announced by the British government in an official statement.
The incoming ambassador faces a key role in communicating the UK’s position and supporting negotiations over Gibraltar. Ellis will travel to Madrid from New Delhi, where he served as British High Commissioner, and has previously held the post of National Security Advisor. Military aspects figure prominently in the talks, given the British military base on the Rock. Ellis also led the European Union Exit Department, suggesting familiarity with high-stakes negotiations of this scale. His diplomatic career includes postings in Brasilia, Lisbon, and earlier as ambassador to Madrid from 2003 to 2005.
Ambassador Hugh Elliott
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The outgoing ambassador, Hugh Elliott (born 1965 in London), is a familiar figure on Spanish social media, where he shares insights about local realities with a touch of British humor. In an interview with El Periódico de España, part of the same media group, he noted in October 2022 that negotiations were progressing, yet delicate issues remained, such as who would control borders if the Verja were removed and how taxation would be handled.
A year ago, a controversy reported by British press involved former minister Dominic Raab, who had left the government following allegations of workplace bullying. He reportedly removed a senior diplomat from Gibraltar talks after proposals allegedly breached London’s lines, according to sources cited by the Daily Telegraph. Raab conceded that a senior diplomat overstepped and that personnel changes were made at a pivotal moment in the negotiations, stressing that the government’s mandate to protect the country’s sovereignty remained at stake.
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The new ambassador will need to untangle several issues blocking a potential agreement. One major item is the joint management of the airport on the Rock, where a Royal Air Force facility handles civilian flights. Another involves the future placement of Spanish officials during a transition to verify who enters and leaves the port or airport, as those points could be routes into Schengen Europe. The most contentious matter concerns the flow of thousands of soldiers and military goods that transit Gibraltar each year.