Picardo swaps UN Fourth Committee in New York for Brexit meetings in London

The Chief Minister will not be addressing the United Nations this week, opting to attend Brexit meetings in London instead.

It follows comments by Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, on Friday, that the UK is “almost there” on reaching a deal that addressed the practical implications of Brexit for Gibraltar. It is the first time in eight years that Fabian Picardo does not travel for the UN’s Fourth Committee meeting.

His flights to New York were already booked, but the decision was taken at the weekend to travel to the UK capital, owing to “the pace of negotiations”.

On Friday, David Lidington told the Nueva Economia Forum in Madrid that there has been serious and constructive engagement, and said an agreement on the practical issues is possible. He said he was optimistic as it was in the interest of 8-10,000 cross frontier workers. He said the UK position on sovereignty was clear and would not change.

The Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia will address the UN’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee, and will also speak at Princeton University. Meanwhile, Housing Minister Samantha Sacramento is traveling to Glasgow for the annual conference of the Scottish National Party.