GSD Leadership Election: Keith Azopardi - Differences Are Relevant
A statement from Keith Azopardi follows below:
In his letter released to the press and to GSD members yesterday Damon Bossino said he was “saddened” about talk about differences and asked “why are we talking about differences now?” The implication of that is that he was saying that I had first talked about differences. That is untrue and unfair. Damon has been openly talking about the different views he holds for years.
For example, in an article widely posted on social media in 2021 he explained that “I am more conservative than my colleagues and it shows whenever I vote. Conservatism needs a voice in Gibraltarian politics.” He gave examples then of what he meant by that. See the article below.
https://reachextra.com/damon-bossino/
I think differences are good in politics and people are entitled to know where politicians stand on issues. I respect the fact that Damon holds very different views on issues. He has been very vocal about this in the past and how this influences how he approaches things.
It’s right though, when members come to vote on 5 December that they appreciate what that means for the future, for our ability to hold hard-won support and gain new voters and whether this would impact on our electability to Government. To do so we need to be able to build a broad coalition of support across all sectors and hold that together. Members need to decide who is the best candidate to do that.
An additional and crucial consideration is who is best placed in terms of strength, ability or experience to lead a future Government and who is ready to do so now. All these are important factors that members are right to have in mind.
It’s good that there are different visions for people to choose from. Equally I have made no secret that I am standing on a moderate, centrist and progressive platform. We have made huge progress already and built strong and broad support over the last few years. I am asking members to back my vision to finish what we started.
