The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party celebrated yesterday its fortieth anniversary and five years in Government since it won the 2011 General Election with the Liberal Party of Gibraltar. The party is celebrating with a function on Friday 9th December for 500 members and guests at the Tercentenary Hall, as there was not another venue big enough for the numbers wanting to attend.
The Leader of the GSLP and Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, said the following in a message to members and supporters in respect of this anniversary:
"Today, on the 9th December, we are celebrating four decades of existence as a political party. That is a huge achievement for which we have to thank every member and every activist. You are the ones that keep the party thriving as a living organisation with a bright future.
Additionally, we have the privilege of celebrating this important anniversary from Government. Tonight we mark exactly 5 years since we won the 2011 General Election and were returned to power in coalition with the Liberal Party of Gibraltar.
The times in which we are living are as challenging politically as the times when our party was first created by Joe and his trade union colleagues in the Transport and General Workers' Union, the precursor of Unite the Union. These are times when Gibraltar needs the GSLP more than ever. Our firm commitment to continued British Sovereignty of Gibraltar and our deep understanding of the need for economic self sufficiency are crucial to our endurance and success as a people. Today, Gibraltar needs the GSLP in Government and it is a privilege for us to be given the opportunity to serve our small but great nation in Government.
Let us also be proud today of everything we have achieved from Government and Opposition. From the introduction of non-mandatory scholarships, the massive land reclamation projects and the co-ownership schemes for new homes, the GSLP has been transformational for Gibraltar. We have been responsible for giving our country it's lease of modern life and for facilitating the modern Gibraltar. In all of these areas, we have also maintained our socialist principles at the core of decision making and in the policy objectives of everything we have done as party.
As a result of those achievements, politically, in the nineties we reached a majority of 72% in the general election of 1992, the highest ever win in a three horse race. In 2015 we achieved a majority of 68%, the highest ever win in a two horse race. Those brilliant and enviable results which no other party has ever been near to, demonstrate that the electorate know we can be trusted to deliver and to have the best interests of our people at heart in the work that we do.
In the international arena, we have been right on all the big issues affecting our nation. On the Brussels Agreement of 1984 we were right on what it's hidden dangers were. On the Airport Agreement of 1987 we were right on what it meant in terms of concessions being made by the UK. On the Cordoba Agreements we were right on the arguments about "cherry picking" which were shown to be a nonsense when the Spanish Government decided to choose the bits it liked and leaved the bits it didn't. And Joe Bossano was absolutely right to return to the United Nations in New York in the early nineties to assert our right to self-determination before the Committee of Twenty Four and the Fourth Committee of the United Nations. The fight for the recognition and exercise of our right to self-determination have been the defining ideal of our party's foreign policy.
But we will not rest on our achievements to date. People expect more from us. They expect us to look forward and to make even greater progress.
There are still homes to be built for those that need them.
There are still jobs to be found for those who don't yet have them.
There is still a claim to our Sovereignty that we will defeat together.
The core of the party's philosophy and direction has been Joe Bossano and so much of what we celebrate today is down to his ability, ingenuity and relentless work ethic. Today we are also therefore celebrating his achievements and his legacy to us as proud members of the GSLP and to Gibraltar, the homeland he has repeatedly demonstrated he loves more than anything else.Even his greatest detractors accept that without his exceptional leadership Gibraltar would not have been able to reinvent itself economically in the post-MOD era. Today we must also say a big "Thank You" to Joe for his tenacity, courage and determination.
It is also right to thank every GSLP Minister, Member of Parliament, activist, member, supporter and voter. You are the ones who deliver the work that makes us the party that we proudly are.
Finally, let us remember with humility that despite out many achievements, we have still got a lot of work to do and that, with the benefit of hindsight, we have also made mistakes. We do not pretend to be perfect or infallible, but we do learn from our mistakes and we do not repeat them.
Let us also recall that Gibraltar needs us to be the political rock that keeps our nation British. Let us recommit to the work we have to do for the party to keep it strong for future elections and to remain fit for Government for many years to come.
So thank you for your continued support. Together, we are an unbeatable political force."
