The Government recently rejected the Opposition’s ‘distorted version’ of the Chief Minister’s visit to the United States, and the role played by Juan Verde, in last week’s Parliament discussion.

They insist that the point made by the Chief Minister in Parliament related to the GSD’s comments on Juan Verde’s role and not to the substance of the Chief Minister’s visit to the US. The Government added, ‘it was the continuous references to the role of Mr Verde that have been seized by our political opponents outside Gibraltar in order to undermine and damage the political position of Gibraltar as a whole.’

They claim that it is absurd that the Opposition should pretend that it was the Chief Minister’s visit to the United States which has been seized upon by our political opponents when this was publicised by the Government itself and the photograph of the Chief Minister with the President of the United States was also publicised by the Government itself. The argument was about the Opposition’s insistence in drawing attention to the role of Mr. Verde even though they know that this is damaging to Gibraltar’s best interests.

A Government statement notes that this is yet another case of blatant political hypocrisy on the GSD’s part. ‘When they were in Government they refused time and again to provide an answer to questions seeking a breakdown of the political lobbying vote. Now, in Opposition, they are asking the Government to provide information that they themselves refused to provide, probably for much the same reason.

The Government has now compiled a detailed breakdown of the Political Lobbying vote and the Government Lobbying vote from 1999 until 2011 when the GSD were in office which will one day provide interesting reading. This is yet another case of “do as I say and not as I did”.’