Gibraltar opposition leader resigns citing personal reasons

DANIEL FEETHAM leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrat party in opposition has resigned for personal reasons although he will remain an MP.

Having served in the previous GSD government he was infamously attacked and stabbed in 2010 whilst walking with his children but after his recovery, took over from Sir Peter Caruana as leader of the party.

At the last election, the GSD was beaten quite decisively and his term of leadership has seen numerous arguments with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.

The defection firstly of Marlene Hassan Nahon – daughter of a former Chief Minister – last year and Lawrence Llamas this week after Mr Feetham had made his decision to resign clear to his party shows that there was also dissent internally in the GSD.

According to interviews with Mr Feetham he has stated that the shadow of the attack still affects him and that he should have thought of his family rather than the party when accepting the leadership.

Fabian Picardo spoke to him following the announcement and said “I have conveyed to Daniel my personal best wishes to him and his family, in particular his wife Julia and their children, at this time of transition for them.”

Deputy leader Roy Clinton will take over until a leadership election is held later this year.