The Leader of the Opposition Keith Azopardi gave a statement on Friday evening on GBC about the next 11 months of Brexit negotiations.

Here’s the full text:

Last Friday at midnight we lowered the EU flag and in its place we hoisted the Commonwealth flag. We left the European Union. This was a sad moment for many of us who only knew life inside the European Community of nations and thought that our future lay within the Union.

We have left on the basis of a transitional period which will end on 31 December this year and in a way which hopefully will help insulate us from the major impact of BREXIT for at least 11 months. The big test will come in January 2021. By then we will either have been included in a beneficial permanent deal with the EU or more time will have been agreed for further negotiations or we will have been excluded from a permanent deal.

That is why we must use the next 11 months very wisely. Firstly to work towards the best possible beneficial deal for Gibraltar and secondly to prepare in case there is no permanent deal by the end of December this year.

These 11 months will test us all. But in seeking to overcome this challenge we should try to work together as much as possible. Let me make it very clear that the Opposition is willing to form part of a joint negotiating team with the Government to negotiate the best possible deal over the next 11 months. That way, united, we can work together to achieve the best for our community.

I make no secret of the fact that the GSD have a very different economic vision for Gibraltar. That we would govern differently in so many ways – in terms of prioritising social justice, fairness, accountability and cutting down wastage of public monies. We do not agree with the GSLP Government on many domestic issues. Our Party’s core values are very different. We have also felt that the last three years have been a lost opportunity for Gibraltar where the Government entered into deficient arrangements that have given away a lot to Spain for very little of any enduring nature in return. The Tax Treaty, for example, which emerged from those negotiations is economically intrusive and harmful for Gibraltar and it is permanent. It will affect citizens and companies badly and be a disincentive to inward investment. Just this week Spain has confirmed what we, in the GSD, have been predicting – that the Tax Treaty is going to be used as a tool against Gibraltar and our people by Spain. That is only going to happen because the GSLP of Mr Picardo signed up to it.

But looking forward and to maximize the best deal possible we are willing to set aside these differences and work together towards the best possible deal for Gibraltar over the next 11 months. The Chief Minister made clear in Parliament last month that he is not willing to have a joint negotiating team with the Opposition. We think that is a mistake. At this moment in our history we should come together like Sir Joshua and Peter Isola did in the 1960s, like we did when the 1969 and 2006 constitutions were negotiated, like we did at the time of joint sovereignty. There has been no bigger challenge to our community for decades. It is time to rise up to this unprecedented challenge in a united way and we are prepared to do that. Our offer remains on the table.

The Opposition parties represent almost half of the voters at the last election. But we recognize too that the GSLP won the last election and so we recognize that it is the Chief Minister’s prerogative to go it alone if he wishes and shun any offers of help. We just do not think this is the time for political arrogance or thinking you have a monopoly on good ideas. It is the time to work together on this net issue if we are genuinely involved.

Of course if we are not included and do not meaningfully participate then we must continue to discharge our constitutional responsibility to you from outside those negotiations in the only way we can. We will critically scrutinize any proposals or arrangements that emerge to see if they are good for Gibraltar. If they are not we will clearly explain why.

That is, of course, not our preference as we would rather help out at this time in our collective interest. There will be time enough for focusing on domestic policy differences.

We want Gibraltar to come away from all this with a good deal by the end of the year and, as such, we want the Government to succeed.

During the next 11 months it is likely that we will see pressure from Spain to use Gibraltar as a tool in the UK negotiations. Already we are being told by the EU that any deal will need the prior consent of Spain. That may lead to pressures on us to make concessions on sovereignty, jurisdiction and control that we must resist. We will need to rely on our friends and lobby hard for the protection of our unique interests as the only British territory on mainland Europe. Above all in those negotiations we should be bold and imaginative as to the recalibration of our permanent future arrangements with the EU and our neighbour. We should not be afraid of considering radical ideas to guarantee our future. We believe that we can do all these things – united.

Whatever role we are asked to fulfil in the next 11 months you can rest assured that at this critical time in our history your elected Opposition will work hard to protect your interests and help Gibraltar succeed and prosper.