A British citizen has died in a paragliding accident in Spain. The Foreign Office is demanding answers. But the story is not that simple. Not in the febrile atmosphere of post-Brexit diplomacy.
The victim, a 45-year-old man from London, was on holiday in Alicante. Witnesses say his parachute failed to open. He fell 500 feet. Spanish authorities say it was a tragic accident, a case of equipment failure. But officials in London are not taking that at face value.
Why? Because this is not just any accident. This is the latest in a series of incidents involving British nationals abroad. And the Tory right is watching. They see a pattern. They see a Spanish government that is slow to respond, that fobs off British diplomats with platitudes. The mood in the Conservative Party is fractious. Backbenchers are muttering about 'EU intransigence' and 'Spanish contempt'.
Let me give you the inside track. I have spoken to a senior Foreign Office source. Off the record, they tell me there is 'frustration' in the corridors of King Charles Street. Spanish authorities took 72 hours to file a preliminary report. That is slow. Suspiciously slow, some say. The source added: 'We are not getting the level of cooperation we expect from a European ally.'
But here is the kicker. The real game is not in Madrid. It is in Westminster. A group of Tory MPs, the European Research Group, are seizing on this. They want a formal protest. They want a debate in the House. They want the Foreign Secretary to 'name and shame' Spain. It is a gift for the hardliners. A stick to beat the government with. And the government knows it.
Downing Street is treading carefully. The Prime Minister cannot afford a diplomatic row with Spain. Not when Brexit talks are at a delicate stage. Not when the fishing rights dispute is simmering. But he cannot afford to look weak either. The polls are brutal: the government is trailing by 12 points. Every issue is a potential minefield.
So what happens next? My sources say the Foreign Office will issue a formal note. They will ask for a full investigation. They will offer 'assistance' to the Spanish authorities. But privately, they will lean on Madrid. They will say: 'Sort this out. Or we will have to escalate.'
This is how politics works. A tragedy becomes a bargaining chip. A dead man becomes a pawn in the great game. It is cynical. But it is real.
The family of the victim does not care about politics. They just want answers. But in Whitehall, the game is all that matters.
