I have written a lot over the years about the efforts
of the Lib Dem Euro MP, Sir Graham Watson, to battle for Gibraltar in Europe.
Indeed he is our most effective representative in Brussels and the European
Parliament by a long shot although he is outnumbered by Tories and UKIP MEPs in
the South West England and Gibraltar constituency.
Being a Lib Dem he has a firm base in Gibraltar with
our own Liberal Party both when that party was in opposition and now it is in
government. He has held on-going meetings with his constituents on the Rock and
spoken on their behalf for years.
The fact the former Supreme Leader and his successor
Daniel Feetham seem not to be able to grasp is that he is elected by Gibraltarians
to speak for them in Europe and to raise issues related to the EU. British
politicians do not have any mandate to speak for Gibraltar but Sir Graham does.
I met Sir Graham in Gibraltar in the last period of
the Supreme Leader’s administration and we discussed his role on representing
Gibraltarians. It was an open secret that tensions existed between our Euro MP
and the former Supreme Leader for the simple reason that the latter believed he
was the only person who should speak for Gibraltarians even if what he said was
more often than not at odds with what they wanted.
Never has Sir Graham criticised the former Supreme
Leader to me when we met or indeed in our correspondence over the years either
on or off the record. He has a high standard of ethics hence his knighthood.
However Sir Graham did speak up for Gibraltarians on
European issues in London, Brussels and here for the very simple reason that
more often than not the former Supreme Leader refused to do so. Or, in some
cases, he or his administration infringed the European rights of Gibraltarians.
Obviously the GSD have been stung by the success of
the Gibraltar Government’s delegation not only to Brussels but also to London
and Washington. In the latter two cases the doors of No 10 and the White House
were never opened to the former Supreme Leader. I wonder why?
The success of the Brussels visit can be partly
attributed to Sir Graham and he should be thanked and not slated for his hard
work in making the encounters happen.
That being said Sir Graham is a Euro MP. He does not
have the power to block the Chief Minister of Gibraltar visiting Euro officials
or putting our case in Brussels.
The fact that such visits never took place during the
16 years that the Supreme Leader was in power are down to the Supreme Leader
and nobody else. His failure to engage with Brussels, the European Parliament
and a whole range of other people who could have helped Gibraltar are his
responsibility alone.
Feetham says Sir Graham
broke a long-standing convention that UK frontline politicians do not interfere
in local politics. Sorry but the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence, the
Treasury and its ministers are involved in our local politics whether we like
it or not. In contrast Sir Graham is elected by Gibraltarians to speak for us:
Danny it is called democracy!
The one person who is
owed an apology here is Sir Graham. Sadly Daniel Feetham, following in the
footsteps of the Supreme Leader, lacks the grace to tender one.
