Gibraltar ceded from Spain to Britain in 1713 and has been a source of tension between London and Madrid ever since. Following Britain's decision to leave the European Union following the June 2016 referendum, Spain has argued that Gibraltar should return to Spain's sovereignty in order to continue Gibraltar's access to the European market. This is important as Gilbraltar's economy is largely dependent on financial services, tourism and online gaming with access to the European Market. Spain has proposed that Gibraltar should return in the form of joint sovereignty, between Britain and Spain. However, almost 99% of Gibraltanians have previously rejected the notion of joint sovereignty when the question was posed in the 2002 November referendum.
