London - The British government is working on a secret deal to resolve the dispute with Spain over Gibraltar that has soured relations between the two countries for almost 300 years.
The two governments have set themselves a deadline of December next year to finalise an agreement on a colony that has been in British hands since 1704.
Among options being discussed at the British Foreign Office are sharing sovereignty between Britain and Spain, or a sliding scale of sovereignty that would see control gradually pass to Spain. Ending British rule will bring protests from a sizeable section of the Gibraltar population which would prefer independence rather than be reincorporated back into Spain. British and Spanish representatives are to meet in Barcelona on November 20th to discuss details.