Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
| Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party | |
|---|---|
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| Leader | Fabian Picardo |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Suite 16, 3 Watergardens, Waterport Road, Gibraltar |
| Ideology | Social democracy, Democratic socialism |
| Political position | Centre-Left |
| National affiliation | Gibraltar Liberal Party |
| International affiliation | None |
| European affiliation | None |
| European Parliament Group | Socialist Group in the European Parliament (2004–2009) |
| Official colours | Red, White |
| Website | |
| http://www.gslp.gi/ | |
| Politics of Gibraltar Political parties Elections |
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| Gibraltar |
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The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU). The party has been led since 2011 by Fabian Picardo.
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[edit] History
The TGWU during Bossano's tenure was instrumental in achieving parity with the United Kingdom for all workers in Gibraltar. Bossano left the Integration with Britain Party in 1975 and founded the Gibraltar Democratic Movement (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 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.[1] The party was eventually in Government from 1988 to 1996, and, during its eight years in office, broke the back of the historical housing problem in Gibraltar.[citation needed]
In April 2011, Joe Bossano retired as party leader and he was replaced by Fabian Picardo.
Although the GSLP's initial base was made up mainly of blue-collar workers, the current political base is made up of Gibraltarians from all spheres of the community.[citation needed]
[edit] Policy
Like all the other parties in Gibraltar, the GSLP supports self-determination for Gibraltar and opposes any moves toward joint British–Spanish sovereignty. The party has historically been more hardline in its attitude towards Spain's claim to the sovereignty of Gibraltar, 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, who veer towards a more conciliatory stance[citation needed].
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, and consider's Spain's violations of the current 3 mile limit of territorial waters as "a hostile and unfriendly act".[2]
The party does not consider Gibraltar to have been decolonised by the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006, and has a policy of continued participation at all United Nations venues where Gibraltar is discussed including the Special Committee on Decolonization 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.[3]
[edit] Elections
The GSLP is currently in Government in alliance with the Gibraltar Liberal Party having won the 2011 election with its full candidature of 10 entering into Parliament giving it a 10-7 majority over the defeated GSD party formerly in Government. 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 by Glyn Ford MEP[4] during the 6th European Parliament term, but later lost his seat in the European Parliament election, 2009.
[edit] References
- ^ Peter Gold (2005). Gibraltar: British or Spanish?. Routledge. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0-415-34795-5.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
[edit] External links
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