The Government has said that the Chief Minister has made it perfectly clear that “In a democratic society everyone is free to express whatever view they wish on any matter, and the Government will always defend that right.”

However, the Government also argues that this freedom of expression “must always be tempered with maturity and responsibility in the certain knowledge that our neighbours will take every opportunity to damage our international reputation.”

The Government says it welcomes advice and constructive criticism from the Opposition, and indeed from any member of the public, that is “reasoned, supported by credible evidence and in the wider interests of Gibraltar.”

However, Number Six says that what it terms the “sensationalist claims” of the GSD “have directly caused problems for Gibraltar in Europe that are potentially damaging to the strong relationship that we have worked hard to build.” The Government repeats that what it sees as the GSD’s “baseless accusations” now work in the Partido Popular’s favour against Gibraltar and have the potential to stimulate Spanish animosity “of the kind that Gibraltar was made to suffer in the summer of 2013. “

Furthermore, the Government notes that for all of Mr Hammond’s defence of the Opposition’s obligation to hold the Government to account, “Mr Hammond is a party official and not a member of Her Majesty’s Opposition.”

“In his attempts to discredit the elected Government, Mr Feetham has once again demonstrated that he is as naïve in the international political arena as he is domestically,” said the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia. 

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