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Gibraltar Social Democrats

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Gibraltar Social Democrats
LeaderDaniel Feetham
Founded1989
Headquarters1A College Lane, Gibraltar
IdeologyConservatism[1][2][3][4]
Political positionCentre-right[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
ColoursBlue and yellow
UK affiliationConservatives
(local branch)
Parliament
7 / 17
Website
www.gsd.gi

The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) is a centre-right political party in Gibraltar.

The GSD was the governing party in Gibraltar for four successive terms in office under the leadership of Peter Caruana from the 1996 general election until the party's electoral defeat in the 2011 election by the GSLP–Liberal Alliance.

History

The party emerged, after the collapse of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights, as the main opposition to the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP).

In 2005, the GSD has merged with the Gibraltar Labour Party, retaining the GSD name for the enlarged party. The merger was unpopular with many members of both parties, causing some high profile GSD members to resign their membership, including deputy leader Keith Azopardi and executive member Nick Cruz, who went on to form the short-lived Progressive Democratic Party.

In January 2013, Peter Caruana (who was the then Leader of the Opposition), announced he was stepping down as leader and taking up a backbench position until his 4-year term was over. Caruana declared that he would not fight the next election and will be stepping out of politics completely. The leadership was contested by two GSD MPs: Daniel Feetham and Damon Bossino. Feetham was elected on 4 February 2013 as Leader of the party by majority vote of the executive. This was the first time a party's leadership was to be democratically contested between two candidates.

Policies

Headquarters of the Gibraltar Social Democrats in College Lane, Gibraltar.
Former Leader and founder of the GSD, Peter Caruana, QC

The GSD is traditionally viewed as a party of the centre-right due to its conservative policies. The party supports the current constitutional status of Gibraltar as an autonomous British overseas territory and is opposed to any proposal of joint British–Spanish sovereignty. The GSD has traditionally been less hostile in its attitude to Spain than its main rival, the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.[2]

Elections

In the 1991 by-election to the Gibraltar House of Assembly, following the resignation of GSD Leader Peter Montegriffo, Peter Caruana was elected party leader and won 61.81% of the popular vote to fill in the vacant seat.[12]

In the 1992 election, the party won 20.2% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[13]

In the 1996 election, the party won 52.20% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[14]

In the 2000 election, the party won 58.35% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[15]

In the 2003 election, the party won 51.45% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[16]

In the 2007 election to the newly named (and re-organized) Gibraltar Parliament, the party won 49.33% of the popular vote and 10 seats.[17]

In the 2011 election, the party won 46.76% of the popular vote and 7 seats, unable to secure a fifth term.[18]

In the 2013 by-election, the GSD candidate Marlene Hassan Nahon won 39.95% of the popular vote.[19]

In the 2015 election, the party won 31.56% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[20]

The GSD endorsed the Conservative Party in the 2015 British general election.[21]

Election results

Parliament of Gibraltar

Election year # of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		# of
overall seats won 		±
1991(by-election)* 2,496 61.81
1 / 1
1 / 15
 New
1992 20,110 20.2
7 / 15
 Increase6
1996 66,190 52.2
8 / 15
 Increase1
2000 67,443 58.35
8 / 15
 Steady
2003 58,234 51.45
8 / 15
 Steady
2007 76,334 49.33
10 / 17
 Increase2
2011 81,721 46.76
7 / 17
 Decrease3
2013 (by-election)** 3,927 39.95
0 / 1
7 / 17
 Steady
2015 46,545 31.56
7 / 17
 Steady
*The 1991 by-election in Gibraltar was to fill in a seat vacated by former GSD Leader, Peter Montegriffo, who retired as MP that year. Hence, the composition bar on this row would only signify whether or not a member of a particular political party has won the seat. If that particular member had won the seat, then the entire bar would be colored in.
**The 2013 by-election in Gibraltar was to fill in a seat vacated by then-GSLP MP, Charles Arthur Bruzon, who died that year. Hence, the composition bar on this row would only signify whether or not a member of a particular political party has won the seat. If that particular member wins the seat, then the entire bar would be colored in.

Current GSD MPs

  • Daniel Feetham (since 2007)
  • Edwin Reyes (since 2007)
  • Marlene Hassan-Nahon (since 2015)
  • Elliott Phillips (since 2015)
  • Roy Clinton (since 2015)
  • Trevor Hammond (since 2015)
  • Lawrence Llamas (since 2015)

Footnotes

  1. ^ Anja Kellermann (2002). A New New English Language, Politics and Identity in Gibraltar. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 184. ISBN 978-3-8311-2368-1. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  2. ^ a b Dieter Haller (2005). "Beyond Europeanization: A peripheral view of culture and the nation state". In Thomas M. Wilson; Hastings Donnan (eds.). Culture and Power at the Edges of the State: National Support and Subversion in European Border Regions. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 92. ISBN 978-3-8258-7569-5. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  3. ^ Gibraltar looks to end isolation from Spain - World - News - The Independent
  4. ^ Gibraltar election fever
  5. ^ Peter Gold (2005). Gibraltar: British Or Spanish?. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-415-34795-2. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  6. ^ Gibraltar's leader wins third term | World news | The Guardian
  7. ^ Gibraltar History, Language and Culture
  8. ^ Gibraltar voters set to oust Social Democrats < Spanish news | Expatica Spain
  9. ^ Gibraltar gets socialist Chief Minister | Trade Bridge Consultants
  10. ^ PROFILE - Solid Rock: Peter Caruana | European Voice
  11. ^ Government in Gibraltar
  12. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/by_election_results_16_may_1991.pdf
  13. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_16_january_1992.pdf
  14. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_16_may_1996.pdf
  15. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_10_february_2000.pdf
  16. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_27_november_2003.pdf
  17. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_11_october_2007.pdf
  18. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_8_december_2011%20.pdf
  19. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/by_election_results_4_july_2013.pdf
  20. ^ http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliamentary_election_results/general_election_results_26_november_2015.pdf
  21. ^ http://www.yourgibraltartv.com/politics/9116-may-08-gsd-welcomes-tory-win-and-repeats-call-for-unity-ahead-of-possible-eu-referendum
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