The Deputy Leader of the GSD, Damon Bossino, gave a talk at the Casino Calpe on Thursday night at the invitation of the Club. He made a defence of Gibraltar’s party political system and argued that, although there were certain issues in respect of which there was consensus, it was nevertheless in the nature of politics that there is division as this forms a part of political debate.

He defended the party political system which Gibraltar, despite being such a small place, had embraced for so many years and explained why, in his view, there was such a significant interest in politics. He said that all these features of our system, with all its faults, should be celebrated, citing the high political turnout experienced in general elections. He offered as an explanation for this phenomenon the fact that Gibraltar played a significant role in the international stage. Particular reference was made, in this context, to the pressures which emanate from Spain with regards to its sovereignty claim.

He also analysed to what extent there is consensus between the Government and Opposition citing, for example, the unanimous support that there is in favour of the Trilateral Forum of Dialogue which was launched by the British, Spanish and Gibraltar Governments in 2004.

The Deputy Leader, however, set out the differences in policy that exist in relation to decolonisation and attendance at the UN Committee of 24. He explained that the GSD was of the view that the 2006 Constitution provided a measure of self-government which had been described by the UK as non-colonial in nature and that the referendum which approved the Constitution was itself an act of self-determination. Decolonisation in the relevant sense has already occurred, he argued. Mr Bossino also set out the Government’s and SDGG’s position in relation to this issue.

The Deputy Leader of the GSD, Damon Bossino said:

“I explained to the Club members present that despite the divergence of opinion on the decolonisation issue, the Leader of the party had broken new ground by offering for the sake of national unity his joint attendance with the Chief Minister at the Committee of 24, in spite of our policy of non-attendance, on the condition that the CM agree the speech with the Leader of the party beforehand. I also set out how new ground had also been broken by the Leader of the Opposition, in defending and spreading the Gibraltar message in Spain almost on a monthly basis at Universities and influential debating clubs and how we could not find any reason why that approach could be pursued together with the Chief Minister. In answer to a question I explained how having been to Spain with him on one of these occasions, he defended Gibraltar and the Government of Gibraltar.”

Mr Bossino expressed his gratitude to members of the Club, of which he has been a long-standing member, for giving him the opportunity of speaking to them.