Chief Minister Attends Labour Party Conference

BEING the leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has spent a few days at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool where he has been meeting with various prominent Labour party members from both Houses and a number of unions.

He hosted what is now the traditional Sunday Gibraltar Reception during which the Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry MP was a speaker and he briefly spoke with re-elected leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The Chief Minister discussed the security and defence of the Rock, and MoD jobs in Gibraltar, with the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Clive Lewis MP and on the evening of September 26  took part in a fringe debate alongside former Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn MP, on “Europe: Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” 

Mr Picardo said: “I have been attending Labour Party conferences for 10 years now and have always sensed strong support for Gibraltar. This year, however, I feel there is deeper affection for us than ever before and also deep rooted concern for what Brexit can mean for Gibraltar. 

I have no doubt that this will be a sentiment manifesting itself across the political divide. In Liverpool I have been able to meet front bench representatives of the Labour Party in all relevant fields and to express to them our concerns in respect of the many facets that Brexit presents. They now understand what we are facing a little better and all are keen to help. 

All are shocked at the belligerence of Snr Margallo and the current, caretaker, Spanish administration. There is no doubt we have built strong support in the Labour Party and my own party’s work in past years is coming in useful now that we need support.”