Sep 12 - Equality Rights Group Says Oliver Colvile Gives Gib The Thumbs Up
The Vice Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Royal Marines, Oliver Colvile MP, has given a thumbs-up for the UK campaign to award Gibraltar the George Cross. The George Cross for Gibraltar campaign (GCG) was recently launched by the UK Friends of Gibraltar (headed by Kevin Kelway) in conjunction with Equality Rights Group.
Oliver Colvile MP is the Conservative member for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. He is a member of the Northern Ireland Grand Committee, and also sits on the Northern Ireland Select Committee. In further news, the press statement revealed that George Cross for Gibraltar (GCG) campaigners recently sent a letter to the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson, urging him to support the campaign. Northern Ireland and Malta are the only two collective recipients of the George Cross, and British campaigners say the Rock deserves special recognition for its 300 years of courageous service to Britain, and its resilience during the Second World War. A similar letter has been sent to the Government of Malta also urging support for Gibraltar.
For his part, Mr Colvile said: “For over 300 years Gibraltar has contributed to the defence of Britain, and without doubt deserves the George Cross for its role in WW2. And I’m proud to sign the petition to support the UK campaign. The British territory is uniquely linked to Plymouth and the South West region and especially with the Royal Marines.”
Local human rights group Chairman Felix Alvarez praised UK supporters who, he said ‘are doing an excellent job in doing their bit to raise the profile of the People of Gibraltar in the UK. And for our part, ERG will invest the same tenacity in helping them to take this campaign to a successful conclusion as we have done on previous campaigns.
“The goals are not easy – they are ambitious and will require time. But at this very early stage in the campaign, the first signs of support are encouraging,’ Mr Alvarez concluded.
Mr Kelway said: “We have set up an online petition to raise 100,000 signatures, and a designated ‘George Cross For Gibraltar’ Facebook page for people from across the UK and around the world to show their support. Sign up, follow the link to the Petition, and give us that support now!”
