Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
Encyclopedia
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano
Joe Bossano
Joseph "Joe" John Bossano is a Gibraltarian politician, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April...
was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU). The party has been led since 2011 by Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo , is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer. In April 2011, he was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, replacing long term leader Joe Bossano....
.
History
The TGWU during Bossano's tenure was instrumental in achieving parity with the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for all workers in Gibraltar. Bossano left the Integration with Britain Party
Integration with Britain Party
The Integration with Britain Party was a political party in Gibraltar established in February 1967. Although it never won an election, it was briefly in power from 1969 to 1972 when Robert Peliza of the IWBP was Chief Minister.- History :...
in 1975 and founded the Gibraltar Democratic Movement
Gibraltar Democratic Movement
The Gibraltar Democratic Movement was a political party in Gibraltar. It was the forerunner of the present Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. Joe Bossano, Chief Minister from 1988 to 1996, left the Integration with Britain Party in 1975 to form the GDM, which later became the GSLP. In the only...
(GDM), which contested the 1976 election winning four seats in the House of Assembly. The GDM became the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party in 1978 and obtained one seat, that of Bossano, in the 1980 election. In the next election (1984) the GSLP capitalized the Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
discontent about the way the British Government was handling the future of the Gibraltar Royal Navy dockyard, opposing to the transfer of the docks to Appledore International (which involved the loss of about 400 jobs), and winning seven of the fifteen seats of the Assembly. The party was eventually in Government from 1988 to 1996, and, during its eight years in office, broke the back of the historical housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
problem in Gibraltar.
In April 2011
April 2011
April 2011 was the fourth month of the current year. It began on a Friday and ended after 30 days on a Saturday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from April 2011....
, Joe Bossano
Joe Bossano
Joseph "Joe" John Bossano is a Gibraltarian politician, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April...
retired as party leader and he was replaced by Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo , is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer. In April 2011, he was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, replacing long term leader Joe Bossano....
.
Although the GSLP's initial base was made up mainly of blue-collar worker
Blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
s, the current political base is made up of Gibraltarians from all spheres of the community.
Policy
Like all the other parties in Gibraltar, the GSLP supports self-determinationSelf-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
for Gibraltar and opposes any moves toward joint British–Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
. The party has historically been more hardline in its attitude towards Spain's claim to the sovereignty of Gibraltar
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
, refusing to include the subject of sovereignty in any discussions dealing with normal day to day cooperation between Gibraltar and Spain, than the Gibraltar Social Democrats
Gibraltar Social Democrats
The Gibraltar Social Democrats, abbreviated to GSD, is a centre-right political party in Gibraltar.Their current leader is Peter Caruana, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. The GSD has been the governing party in Gibraltar since 1996.-History:...
, who veer towards a more conciliatory stance.
The party strongly supports Gibraltar's territorial integrity, in particular seeks pursuit of the recognition of the full 12 mile limit to Gibraltar Territorial Waters as is the case with other British overseas territories
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
, and consider's Spain's violations of the current 3 mile limit of territorial waters as "a hostile and unfriendly act".
The party does not consider Gibraltar to have been decolonised by the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006
Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 was taken to a referendum in Gibraltar on 30 November 2006. A coalition of groups opposing the proposal held that a majority of 60% should be required to give effect to a new Constitution, quoting other instances...
, and has a policy of continued participation at all United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
venues where Gibraltar is discussed including the Special Committee on Decolonization
Special Committee on Decolonization
The Special Committee on Decolonization was created in 1961 by the General Assembly of the United Nations with the purpose of monitoring implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples...
until such time as the decolonisation of Gibraltar is recognised by the UN and the achievement of a new international status for Gibraltar as a full self-governing territory under the British Crown
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
.
Elections
The GSLP is currently in Opposition in Alliance with the Gibraltar Liberal PartyGibraltar Liberal Party
The Gibraltar Liberal Party is a political party in Gibraltar. The party was founded in 1991 as Gibraltar National Party and is led by Dr...
. At the 2003 election election to the House of Assembly, the GSLP/Libs polled 41% of the vote, with the GSD polling 51% and other parties 8% which returned 7 of the GSLP/Lib members (5 GSLP, 2 Liberal) to the House of Assembly as Opposition with 8 members of the GSD forming the Government. In the 2007 election to the Gibraltar Parliament the GSLP/Libs, won 45.5% of the popular vote and 7 out of 17 seats.
The GSLP was represented in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
by Glyn Ford
Glyn Ford
Glyn Ford was a member of the European Parliament initially for Greater Manchester East, until 1999 and then South West England for the Labour Party and Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party....
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
during the 6th European Parliament
6th European Parliament
The Sixth European Parliament was the sixth five-year term of the elected European Parliament. It began on Tuesday 20 July 2004 in Strasbourg following the 2004 elections and ended after the 2009 elections.-Major events:* 10-13 June 2004...
term, but later lost his seat in the European Parliament election, 2009
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
.