Spain accused of attempt to ‘force out’ British MEP in row over Gibraltar

SPAIN has been accused of ‘hounding’ a senior British MEP after he insisted Gibraltar is not a colony.

Claude Moraes has claimed Spain is behind a ‘systematic’ attack aimed at getting him to back down over Gibraltar.

Spanish MEPs allegedly view the Labour MEP as a ‘stumbling block’ after he repeatedly blocked EU legislation that described Gibraltar as a colony.

Moraes said: “The inclusion of this footnote on Gibraltar was a political act which is now being defended by 27 member states and the commission in an unprecedented way.”

The row came to ahead yesterday when the Labour MEP was asked to step down as the EU Parliament’s rapporteur by the chamber’s speaker, Antonio Tajani.

Moraes said: “For five weeks the pressure has been systematic, the attacks in the Spanish press have been very brutal, very personal, and consistently so.”

The veteran MEP has insisted Spain was behind the attempt to force him out of the key role.

He said: “There has been pressure by all the political groups in the European parliament with Spanish members.

“There have been meetings where I have been attacked systematically – it has been an intimidatory atmosphere.”