Yesterday morning a shiver went down my spine when I saw the news that David Lammy had travelled down to Gibraltar in the dead of night for ‘negotiations’. To appropriate a Ronald Reagan quote: “The eight most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m David Lammy and I’m here to negotiate.’”

We’ve already seen a disastrous tax giveaway to India; the loss of the Chagos Islands to Mauritus; a US trade deal that leaves us with worse trading terms than a year ago; and the total loss of spine when it comes to Europe’s access to our fishing waters. David Lammy’s deals fall apart quicker than a British Leyland car. And once again we see that in Gibraltar – surely our proudest overseas territory, other than the Falkland Islands. Mr Lammy’s signed on the dotted line for a new deal that allows the Spanish to check British passports when landing on the rock.

Let’s be clear: Gibraltar is part of Britain. So much so it got a vote in the EU referendum. This is the diplomatic equivalent of having your passport checked by the Dutch when flying from Luton to Manchester.

I’ve now spoken to a former Foreign Office source who was privy to the UK-Gibraltar negotiations during the previous Conservative government, who has confirmed the passport-checking part of the deal is precisely what the Tories refused to cave in on.

They reveal that it was a key sticking point for the last government not to allow Spanish or EU border guards to check our passports on sovereign British soil.

Mr Cleverly informed the Spanish that neither Parliament nor voters would let that wash.

The source added, simply: “Labour just caved”.

I put these points to Keir Starmer’s official spokesman at a press briefing this morning, who did not deny that once again it was our Government who blinked first and made the big concessions.

He told the Express: “This government inherited a situation from the last government which left Gibraltar’s economy and way of life under threat.”

“Approximately 15,000 people – which is more than half of Gibraltar’s entire workforce – cross the border with Spain every single day.

“Temporary bridging measures were put in place, but these could have been rescinded at any time, and if an agreement was not reached, the EU’s incoming system of entry and exit control scheduled for October would have meant a hard border between Spain and Gibraltar, in which every individual passport was checked.

“This would have cost Gibraltar hundreds of millions a year, ruining Gibraltar’s economy and leaving the UK taxpayer to pick up the bill.”

I pointed out: “Many voters will feel that once again our government has turned up and just signed on the dotted line over a really quite important point of principle, namely that we will have Spaniards checking our passports on sovereign British territory.”

I was told the Prime Minister doesn’t accept this, and like a broken record was informed this is a “good deal”.

The Government couldn’t say when we’ll actually see the text of the final deal either, leaving Parliament in a limbo and unable to scrutinise what has been conceded.

I hope for all our sakes that David Lammy never takes a plane to the Falklands, or ‘Islas Malvinas’ as they may very well be named by the time of the next election.