Tories stoke up row over future of Gibraltar

A fresh row over Gibraltar erupted today after Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon hinted that Britain's link with the Rock may come to an end.

A day after attending the 300th anniversary of British rule, Mr Hoon came under fire for suggesting that enlargement of the European Union would have "implications" for the colony.

The Tories seized on his remarks as proof that the Government is keen to "cook up" a deal with Spain over Gibraltar's sovereignty.

The Foreign Office was also thrown on to the defensive by Mr Hoon's comments, insisting that there were no plans "at this stage".

When asked about the colony's sovereignty, the Defence Secretary said that the issue was "not something I would want to discuss" on the 300th anniversary.

"But this relationship... has evolved over time," he said. "The relationship today is very different from the one 30 or 40 years ago. So there is an evolution. As the European-Union develops, there may well be implications for Gibraltar."

Fears over the colony's links to Britain were sparked by equivocal statements from ministers in recent years, with hints at joint use with Spain of military bases.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and his Spanish counterpart raised the idea of joint sovereignty, but the deal was ditched after an unofficial referendum of 30,000 Gibraltarians rejected it by 99 per cent.

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said Mr Hoon's comments were "extraordinary".