Nicholas Laughlin's blog etc.

Interesting news from another little patch of the former Empire: the citizens of Gibraltar, voting in a referendum today, declared overwhelmingly that they wish their territory to remain under British rule & are unwilling to consider a sovereignty-sharing arrangement with Spain. If the right to self-determination means anything, that ought to be that; but human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, writing in yesterday's UK Guardian, argues that if the government of Gibraltar wants its wishes respected, it ought to pay some attention to the rights of the Moroccan workers who fill many of the territory's menial, low-paid jobs. At the very least, the British government should demand that this issue be addressed in return for perpetuating Gibraltar's status.