The GSD has said that the reaffirmation of Gibraltar’s “city” designation “has achieved nothing of any practical significance to modern Gibraltar.”

A statement continued: “This was admitted by the Chief Minister who in a hyper-sensitive press release issued on bank holiday Monday has basically said the same as the Leader of the Opposition even though Mr Picardo sought to criticise Mr Azopardi for saying so on social media. In his press release Mr Picardo confirmed that the reaffirmation of city status has ”little” significance or as Mr Azopardi put it – that it wasn’t “a wow moment.”

“How can it therefore be “potentially damaging” to suggest what Mr Picardo has himself acknowledged namely that the City status adds nothing of any real practical value.”

Mr Azopardi said: “I repeat - it is not a Wow moment. It can hardly be that as it is a reaffirmation of a decision made in 1842 but then forgotten for 180 years. Since then we have made huge strides in self-governance, obtained three constitutions, human rights charters, our own legislature and elected Government. We appear regularly at the United Nations to reassert our rights as a separate people to self-determination and our nationhood. Modern Gibraltar is much more than just a nineteenth century garrison “city” where its people had no recognisable rights of self- government which was the case in 1842 when that old decision was taken.

“This reaffirmation while couched in welcome warm language from the British Government doesn’t deal with any of the main current challenges faced by Gibraltar whether they are international or domestic. Nothing that I said sought to conflate that. It is simply a statement of fact. It is also the case that British Government efforts should concentrate on the much more significant issue of the post-Brexit EU Treaty. This precisely exposes that the statement yesterday was simple froth of no real value to our current challenges or as Mr Picardo admitted “little” in terms of practical significance. Obtaining a safe and beneficial EU Treaty would, on the other hand, be of material significance to modern Gibraltar. We remain – 6 years after the referendum and nearly 2 years after the end of the transition period – without a post-BREXIT deal. Clearly that (and its content) is where the real commitment of the British Government to Gibraltar and the success or otherwise of the Gibraltar Government will be measured.”