Referendum or popular consultation
Gibraltar sovereignty referendum, 1967
Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to retain their link with the United Kingdom rather than pass under Spanish sovereignty.
What happened
Voters were asked to choose between passing under Spanish sovereignty on terms proposed by the Spanish Government, or voluntarily retaining their link with the United Kingdom with democratic local institutions.[1] On 10 September 1967, 12,138 votes (99.64%) favoured retaining the UK link against 44 votes (0.36%) for Spanish sovereignty, on a turnout of 96.57%.[2]
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 followed as a direct consequence.[3] Spain closed the border with Gibraltar in response, severing communication links until the closure was lifted in February 1985.[4] The UN General Assembly's Resolution 2353 criticised Britain for holding the referendum and urged negotiations with Spain, passing 73 votes to 19 with 27 abstentions.[5] Since 1992, Gibraltar has marked 10 September as its National Day.[6]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The 1967 referendum asked Gibraltarians to choose between passing under Spanish sovereignty on terms proposed by the Spanish Government, or voluntarily retaining their link with the United Kingdom with democratic local institutions.
- 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, Question section. Source record
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2.
Claim: On 10 September 1967, 12,138 votes (99.64%) favoured retaining the link with the United Kingdom against 44 votes (0.36%) for Spanish sovereignty, on a turnout of 96.57% of the 12,672 registered voters.
- 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, Results section. Source record
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3.
Claim: The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 was enacted as a direct consequence of the referendum, granting Gibraltar a greater measure of autonomy.
- 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, Aftermath section. Source record
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4.
Claim: In response to the 1969 Constitution, Spain closed the border with Gibraltar and severed communication links; the closure remained in effect until February 1985.
- 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, Aftermath section. Source record
- Gibraltar (Wikipedia) link, Border closure section. Source record
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5.
Claim: The UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2353, criticising Britain for holding the 1967 referendum and urging bilateral negotiations with Spain; the resolution passed with 73 votes in favour, 19 against and 27 abstentions.
- 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, UN reaction section. Source record
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6.
Claim: Since 1992, Gibraltar has marked the anniversary of the 1967 referendum, 10 September, as its National Day.
- 1967 Gibraltar sovereignty referendum (Wikipedia) link, Legacy section. Source record