Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party

The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) is a social-democratic[2][3] political party in Gibraltar. The GSLP is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its roots are based 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).[4] The party has been led since 2011 by Fabian Picardo, who has served as Chief Minister of Gibraltar since the 2011 general election. The GSLP forms the GSLP–Liberal Alliance in partnership with the Liberal Party of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
LeaderFabian Picardo
FounderJoe Bossano
Founded1978 (1978)
Split fromDemocratic Party for a British Gibraltar[1]
HeadquartersSuite 16, 3 Watergardens, Waterport Road, Gibraltar
Youth wingGibraltar Socialist Labour Youth
IdeologySocial democracy
Political positionCentre-left
National affiliationGSLP–Liberal Alliance
European Parliament groupPES Group (2004–09)
British affiliationLabour Party
ColoursRed, White
Gibraltar Parliament
7 / 17
Website
www.gslp.gi
Politics of Gibraltar
Constitution
The Crown
Government
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Other
flag Gibraltar portal

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. At the elections of 1984, the GSLP capitalized on the Gibraltarian discontent about the way the British Government was handling the future of the Gibraltar Royal Navy dockyard, opposing 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.[5] The party was eventually in Government from 1988 to 1996.

In April 2011, Joe Bossano retired as party leader and he was replaced by Fabian Picardo.

Ideology and policy
Founder of the GSLP, Joe Bossano

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 strong member and personal ties with the UK Labour Party with many prominent members having been involved with the Labour Party while in the United Kingdom. The GSLP also endorsed the Labour Party at the 2014 European Parliament elections as it had done on previous European elections.[6]

The party strongly supports Gibraltar's territorial integrity, in particular seeks pursuit of the recognition of the full twelve-mile limit to Gibraltar territorial waters, as is the case with other British overseas territories, and it considers Spain's violations of the current three-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 and has a policy of continued participation at all United Nations venues in which Gibraltar is discussed including the Special Committee on Decolonization until 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.

Elections

In the 1980 election to the Gibraltar House of Assembly, the party won its first seat in the House.[7]

In the 1984 election, the party won 34.2% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[8]

In the 1988 election, the party won 58.2% of the popular vote and 8 seats to form the new government.[9]

In the 1992 election, the party won 73.1%% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[10]

In the 1996 election, the party won 42.95% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[11]

In the 1999 by-election following the death of GSLP Opposition MP Robert Mor, Liberal Party leader Dr. Joseph Garcia (backed by the GSLP) won 51.46% of the popular vote and the seat. He was the first joint GSLP/Liberal candidate to contest an election.[12]

In the 2000 election, the party won (in alliance with the Liberals) 25.62% of the popular vote and 5 seats.[13]

In the 2003 election, the party won (in Alliance with the Liberals) 25.08% of the popular vote and 5 seats.[14]

In the 2007 election to the newly named (and re-organized) Gibraltar Parliament, the party won (in Alliance with the Liberals) 31.84% of the popular vote and 4 seats.[15]

In the 2011 election, the party won (in Alliance with the Liberals) 34.23% of the popular vote and 7 seats and, with the 3 seats won by the Liberal Party, formed the new Government of Gibraltar.[16]

In the 2013 by-election, following the death of Housing Minister Charles Bruzon (GSLP), the GSLP candidate Albert Isola won 49.84% of the popular vote to fill in the vacant seat.[17]

In the 2015 election, the party won (in Alliance with the Liberals) 47.83% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[18]

The GSLP was represented in the European Parliament by Glyn Ford MEP[19] of the PES Group during the 6th European Parliament term, however Ford later lost his seat in the 2009 European elections.

The GSLP supported and endorsed the UK Labour Party during elections to the European Parliament.

Election results

Parliament of Gibraltar
Election Votes  % Seats +/– Government
1980
1 / 15
 Opposition
1984 32,534 34.10
7 / 15
 Increase 6 Opposition
1988 60,626 58.22
8 / 15
 Increase 1 Government
1992 65,997 73.1
8 / 15
 Steady Government
1996 54,443 42.95
7 / 15
 Decrease 1 Opposition
2000 29,610 25.62
5 / 15
 Decrease 1 Opposition Coalition
2003 28,382 25.08
5 / 15
 Steady Opposition Coalition
2007 49,277 31.84
4 / 17
 Decrease 1 Opposition Coalition
2011 59,824 34.23
7 / 17
 Increase 3 Coalition Government
2015 70,551 47.83
7 / 17
 Steady Coalition Government
2019 58,576 37.00
7 / 17
 Steady Coalition Government
2023 63,700 35.44%
7 / 17
 Steady Coalition Governmen

By-elections
Election Votes  % Seats +/–
1999 Archived 2017-03-22 at the Wayback Machine Backed Liberal
candidate
0 / 1
 Decrease 1
2013 4,899 49.84
1 / 1
 Steady

European Parliament

Gibraltar was part of the South West England constituency in the European Parliament and its major parties formed joint ticket alliances with the major UK parties. From 2004 until Brexit, the GSLP was in an alliance with Labour.

Election Party SW England Gibraltar Seats +/–
Votes  % Votes  %
2004 Labour 209,908 14.5 1,127 9.4
1 / 7
 Increase 1
2009 Labour 118,716 7.7 1,328 19.0
0 / 7
 Decrease 1
2014 Labour 206,124 13.7 659 9.2
1 / 6
 Increase 1
2019 Labour 108,100 6.5 411 4.4
0 / 6
 Decrease 1

Party leaders
Leader Tenure Notes
1 Joe Bossano, MP1978-April 2011Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 1988-1996

MP since 1972 (for party since 1980)

Economics Minister since 2011

2 Fabian Picardo, MPApril 2011 – presentChief Minister of Gibraltar from 2011-present

Current GSLP MPs
  • Joe Bossano (since 1980)
  • Fabian Picardo (since 2003)
  • John Cortes (since 2011)
  • Christian Santos (since 2023)
  • Patricia Orfila (since 2023)
  • Gemma Arias-Vasquez (since 2023)
  • Nigel Feetham (since 2023)

References
  1. E.G. Archer (2006). Gibraltar Identity and Empire. Routledge. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-415-34796-9. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  2. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Gibraltar/UK". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  3. Williams, Wendy (2011-10-24). "Gibraltar election fever". Olive Press News Spain. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  4. R. H. Haigh; D. S. Morris; D. S. Morris (1 June 2002). Britain, Spain and Gibraltar 1945-1990: The Eternal Triangle. Taylor & Francis. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-203-19463-8. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  5. Peter Gold (2005). Gibraltar: British or Spanish?. Routledge. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0-415-34795-5.
  6. "GBC | Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation". www.gbc.gi. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 6 February 1980. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  8. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 26 January 1984. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  9. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 24 March 1988. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  10. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 16 January 1992. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 16 May 1996. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  12. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 4 February 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  13. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 10 February 2000. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  14. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 27 November 2003. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  15. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 11 October 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  16. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 8 December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  17. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  18. "GENERAL ELECTION : ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Parliament.gi. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  19. "Search for a Member - MEPs - European Parliament". Europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
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