Gemma Arias-Vasquez confirms intention to stand for GSLP Leadership at next party AGM with Nigel Feetham backing them for GSLP leadership. Nigel Feetham will serve as Vice Deputy Chief Minister should the party elect Gemma Arias-Vasquez as its leader.

Below follows a joint statement from Gemma Arias Vasquez and Nigel Feetham:

Gemma Arias-Vasquez and Nigel Feetham K.C., have today issued a statement in respect of their positions on the future leadership of the GSLP, in the context of Fabian  Picardo having confirmed that he will not be seeking re-election as Leader of the  Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP). 

GEMMA ARIAS-VASQUEZ 

Gemma Arias-Vasquez said: “I am now ready to say for the first time that I will be  putting my name forward at the next GSLP AGM to stand as Party Leader of the GSLP.  For a variety of reasons, women are often hesitant to state that they want to lead. I  often counsel younger girls not to fall into this trap. Now that the Chief Minister has  confirmed publicly on numerous occasions that he will not be seeking re-election as  leader of the GSLP, I feel that the time has come to practice what I preach. 

“My own story is rooted in the Gibraltar that the first GSLP Government and its leader,  Sir Joe Bossano, created. I am a product of Gibraltar in the 1980s. I was the first in my  family to go to university. I was able to do so because of the GSLP Government’s scholarship scheme. I returned to practice law here. The opportunity the GSLP gave  me, shaped me. It is the reason I now want to lead the party that gave so many people  like me the chance to build a better future in Gibraltar and for Gibraltar. 

“I am part of the next generation of the GSLP. The product of what Sir Joe’s GSLP of  the late 1980s and early 1990s created.  

“I have seen, in my own life, what happens when Government invests in its people. It  opens doors. It raises aspirations. It strengthens families. And over time, it transforms  a country.  

“That is exactly what the GSLP’s commitment to university-level education did for  Gibraltar. It changed the shape of our workforce and helped build the modern Gibraltar  and Gibraltarian we know today.  

“For the past two and a half years, I have kept my head down and worked hard on my  portfolios. I have worked hard to understand where Gibraltar is today and where I  believe Gibraltar needs to go next. That work has given me a clear picture of what is  working, what needs to change, and where we need to go as Gibraltarians in a vibrant,  thriving and modern Gibraltar.

“Fabian Picardo’s ability to secure a new Treaty between the UK and the EU has meant  that we are now standing at the brink of a new opportunity. A Treaty has been negotiated with the EU allowing fluidity at the border and freedom of movement of  goods. The GSLP Liberal Government has also secured an agreement with the UK to  achieve a single market in financial services. The possibilities are strong and exciting  for Gibraltar’s business community and economy. It also underlines the importance of  the international contacts and relationships built over many years, in London, Brussels,  Madrid and beyond, which have helped Gibraltar defend its interests on the world  stage. The achievements of our current Chief Minister in securing this historic  agreement cannot be underestimated and history will grant it its proper place. That  will be his legacy. 

“I am deeply conscious of the legacy on which any future Leader of the GSLP must  build. Sir Joe Bossano’s Government transformed the prospects of a generation of  Gibraltarians by investing in education, housing, jobs and opportunity, and by giving  ordinary working families the confidence that Gibraltar could stand on its own feet.  Fabian Picardo has led Gibraltar through some of the most difficult and defining  moments in our modern history, defending our sovereignty, securing our stability,  modernising our public services, revolutionising our education with, for example, 10  new schools, whilst negotiating a Treaty that opens the door to the next stage of  Gibraltar’s economic development. That legacy is also a progressive human rights  legacy where long-standing nationality issues affecting members of the Moroccan  community have been addressed, LGBT equality has been advanced and the continuing protection of women’s rights has been achieved. The new leader of the party needs to  step into this legacy and continue its development. It is an opportunity to renew and  bring a fresh new drive to the core values and energy of a party that has always driven  Gibraltar to new possibilities. 

“The stability and benefits which the Treaty affords are undeniable, but energy and  vision are required to translate this into economic reality. I have the energy and the  vision to make that happen.  

“I am also very clear in my view of what being Gibraltarian means, I am fiercely proud  of being Gibraltarian and see our exclusively British sovereignty as essential and non negotiable. We also need to ensure we make future generations equally conscious of the importance of our exclusively British sovereignty. 

“My priority is making sure that our people are taken care of. I want to improve ad preserve our public services for Gibraltarians. Economic strength is required to ensure  this continues to be a reality. 

“We need to ensure that every Gibraltarian is able to live in Gibraltar, with access to  housing, health and education. We need to ensure that more affordable housing is  delivered soon. We need to ensure that our key health and elderly services are always  there, delivered at a high standard, to care for our society, and the most vulnerable  within our society. 

“Progress in growing our economy. Continuing to focus on our people. Whilst never  losing focus on our sovereignty.

“I am confident that, should the membership of the GSLP elect me as their leader, I will  be able to lead a strong team into the next general election. It will be an experienced and fresh team. A team whose core values will remain unchanged, but which will be  modern and progressive. 

“I am, therefore, very pleased that Nigel Feetham and I share a vision for the future of  our party and that we will ask the membership of the party to support both of us to  deliver that further together.” 

NIGEL FEETHAM KC 

For his part, Nigel Feetham, K.C, said: “Following careful reflection, I have decided that  I will not be putting my name forward in any future leadership contest of the GSLP. 

“This decision has been taken in the best interests of the party and, more importantly,  of Gibraltar. At a time when the challenges and opportunities ahead are significant, I  believe it is important to provide unity in leadership. 

“I will therefore be supporting Gemma Arias-Vasquez in her bid to seek election as  leader of the GSLP, and I have no doubt that she has the ability and commitment to  lead the party and, should the GSLP Liberal alliance win the next general election, to  serve Gibraltar as Chief Minister. 

“I remain fully committed to the work of the Government for which we were elected  at the last general election. In that context, should the party elect Gemma as leader and  should the GSLP Liberal alliance prevail at the next general election, I will, with her  agreement, be taking on an enhanced role within my existing Ministerial portfolio,  continuing my current work, reflecting the vital importance of these areas for  Gibraltar’s future and building on my experience and expertise.  

“I have also agreed to serve as Vice Deputy Chief Minister (with responsibility for the  economy), working alongside the Deputy Chief Minister and closely with the incoming  Chief Minister to support the delivery of the Government’s priorities. 

“By working closely with Gemma and focusing on our respective strengths, Gibraltar  will benefit from a united, experienced, and forward-looking leadership team. 

“This ensures that the GSLP in Government is equipped to deliver stability, sustainable  economic growth, and opportunity for all residents, while focusing on the priorities that  matter most to our citizens.” 

WORKING TOGETHER, DELIVERING FOR GIBRALTAR 

Ms Arias-Vasquez continued: “We are both conscious that, in recent months, there has  been no shortage of speculation about the future leadership of the GSLP. Suggestions  of division were always misguided, and this statement is evidence of that.  

“We have to be equally clear that, that is a question which will only be resolved  definitively at the AGM of the GSLP, by the members of the GSLP.

“We have all witnessed what happens when a political party allows a leadership  question to become a public spectacle. We have seen it happen in the Opposition  benches. We choose unity. In the enduring sentiment of the late Jo Cox’s words, we  have far more in common than that which divides us. 

“We are also clear that we have not got everything right in the last 15 years. There are  areas where we could have moved faster and done better, and it is important to say  that honestly. What matters now is what we do next. 

“We will deliver on the mandate we have been given and on the manifesto on which  we were all elected. We will bring the change that people want to see in their day-to day lives. And we will do so as a united team, focused on delivery.” 

Concluding, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: “I am very grateful to Nigel for his support  and for the way this has been approached. His experience will be central as we move  forward. 

“I am committed to a Government that can respond to the challenges ahead with  strength and focus. In that context, I am very pleased that Nigel would play a central  role in any future GSLP/Liberal Government that I lead, continuing his current work and would serve as Vice Deputy Chief Minister, working alongside the Deputy Chief  Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, to support the delivery of the Government’s priorities. Our  shared objective is to ensure that Gibraltar remains economically strong, resilient, and  well-positioned for the future. I look forward to working closely together with Nigel in  the period ahead to serve Gibraltar and continuing to prioritise financial stability and  delivery of first-class public services. 

“Finally, I am also conscious that this decision carries a wider significance. I would be  the first woman to lead the GSLP. I see that as a huge opportunity – an opportunity for  a different kind of politics, which is what I believe Gibraltar needs going forward. 

“With renewed energy, clear leadership, and a united GSLP Liberal team focused on  delivery, I believe we can earn the confidence of the people of Gibraltar once again.  But above all, I believe we can lead with humanity.”