Britain's failure to tackle Spanish aggression over Gibraltar has sparked the shock resignation of the governor of the Rock. Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton took the unprecedented step of quitting the overseas territory after less than two years amid frustration he had been ‘sold a duff’. The resignation has sparked fears that his replacement will be a civil servant, responsible to Whitehall, and less likely to stand up to Spanish sabre-rattling. This would end 300 years of rule by a military governor directly accountable to the Queen. The Foreign Office is searching for his replacement to take up the role in September.