The defiant statement was made by Chairman of the Self Determination Group for Gibraltar, Richard Buttigieg, as he fumed at Spain’s approach to the territory during Brexit talks. Mr Buttigieg told Express.co.uk: “With the Spanish Government, one would have thought that Spain “But it never ceases to amaze me the obsession the Spaniards have with Gibraltar.

“I thought Brexit was important enough an issue that they would be thinking of their own issues – trade, tourism, imports and exports.

“But the government in Spain waste no time in raising the Gibraltar issue, so I think what you find from the Spanish government is an outdated attitude towards Gibraltar and the issue of sovereignty.

“They don’t seem to want to accept the democratic wishes of Gibraltar, nor the basic international laws of human rights, and the right of Gibraltarian to define their own future.”

Under the Peace of Utrecht agreement of 1713, signed following the War of Spanish Succession, Britain was granted control of the Rock.

But for centuries, Madrid has contested Gibraltar’s status, from a naval standoff in 1726 to ongoing tensions today.

One Spanish MEP even claimed that Brexit presented a “golden opportunity” to stake a new claim for the territory.

Meanwhile, Spain’s foreign minister told the Financial Times last month post-Brexit talks between the UK and EU were “an incredible opportunity to fix a number of things that we have not been able to fix in the last 300 years”.

But Mr Buttigieg believes Gibraltarians will never warm to Madrid because of the way its government has treated those on The Rock in previous years.

He also derided Spain for trying to “take advantage of Brexit” for its own interests.

He said: “When one sees Spain’s government are trying to take advantage of Brexit for their own political gain, it further emphasises that they are not the kind of people we want to be associated with.

“It also proves that they are approaching the Gibraltarian issue from a negative and I would say malicious perspective.”

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During Brexit talks, the idea of co-sovereignty over Gibraltar between the UK and Spain has been touted, but Mr Buttigieg said this was “not viable” as it would disrespect previous democratic votes in the territory.

He said: “Co-sovereignty is not viable from my group’s perspective at least, if you look at the two referenda which have been held here, 99 percent voted to reject co-sovereignty. That speaks for itself.

“It is not a price we are willing to pay in relation to Brexit. It is not on the menu for us.”

The territory has had two referenda on its sovereignty in the past, one in 1967 and another in 2002.

The first asked whether they wished to pass under Spanish sovereignty, in which 99.64 percent voted to remain British.

In 2002, they were asked `Do you approve of the principle that Britain and Spain should share sovereignty over Gibraltar?’

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