Gibraltar Social Democrats

Gibraltar Social Democrats
Leader Keith Azopardi
Parliamentary Group Leader Elliott Phillips[1]
Founded 1989
Headquarters 1A College Lane, Gibraltar
Ideology Liberal conservatism[2]
Economic liberalism
Fiscal conservatism
Social liberalism
Gibraltarian nationalism
British unionism[3]
Pro-Europeanism
Political position Centre to centre-right [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
UK affiliation Conservatives
(local branch)[11][12]
Colours Blue and yellow
Parliament
6 / 17
Website
www.gsd.gi

The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) is a centre/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.

In November 30, 2017, the party undergone their second leadership election as its leader, Daniel Feetham resigned In July. As a result, 60.6% of the votes (from executives and members of the party) had gone to rejoined GSD member, Keith Azopardi, who was a minister and Deputy chief minister under the first few years of Peter Caruana reign as Chief minister. Keith had beaten interim leader, Roy Clinton, who had gained 39.4% of the votes.

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 a centre party with a recent left wing colouration. 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.[13]

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.[14]

In the 1992 election, the party won 20.2% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[15]

In the 1996 election, the party won 52.20% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[16]

In the 2000 election, the party won 58.35% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[17]

In the 2003 election, the party won 51.45% of the popular vote and 8 seats.[18]

In the 2007 election to the newly named (and reorganised) Gibraltar Parliament, the party won 49.33% of the popular vote and 10 seats.[19]

In the 2011 election, the party won 46.76% of the popular vote and 7 seats, unable to secure a fifth term.[20]

In the 2013 by-election, the GSD candidate Marlene Hassan Nahon won 39.95% of the popular vote.[21]

In the 2015 election, the party won 31.56% of the popular vote and 7 seats.[22]

The GSD endorsed the Conservative Party in the 2015 British general election.[11]

Election results

Parliament of Gibraltar

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 ±
1991(by-election)*[14] 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 coloured 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 coloured in.

Current GSD MPs

  • Daniel Feetham (since 2007)
  • Edwin Reyes (since 2007)
  • Elliott Phillips (since 2015) (Leader of the Opposition)
  • Roy Clinton (since 2015)
  • Trevor Hammond (since 2015)
  • Lawrence Llamas (December 2015-June 2017 ((resigned from GSD whip to become an independent MP)); rejoined GSD whip since May 2018)

List of Leaders

Name Term in office Portrait
Peter Montegriffo 1989-1991
Peter Caruana May 1991 - January 2013
Daniel Feetham January 2013 - July 2017
Roy Clinton

(interim)

 July 2017 - November 2017
Keith Azopardi November 2017 – present (Non-MP)

References

  1. ↑ http://chronicle.gi/2017/12/phillips-formally-recognised-as-leader-of-the-opposition/
  2. ↑ Williams, Wendy (2011-10-24). "Gibraltar election fever". Olive Press News Spain. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  3. ↑ "Leader of the Opposition Post-Referendum Parliamentary Address - Gibraltar Social Democrats". gsd.gi. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  4. ↑ Peter Gold (2005). Gibraltar: British Or Spanish?. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-415-34795-2. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Gibraltar's leader wins third term | World news | The Guardian". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Gibraltar History, Language and Culture". worldtravelguide.net. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Gibraltar voters set to oust Social Democrats | News | Expatica United Kingdom". expatica.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "United Kingdom | Elections | Gibraltar gets socialist Chief Minister | Trade Bridge Consultants". tradebridgeconsultants.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "PROFILE – Solid Rock: Peter Caruana – POLITICO". europeanvoice.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Government in Gibraltar". Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. 1 2 "May 08 - GSD Welcomes Tory Win And Repeats Call For Unity Ahead Of Possible EU Referendum". yourgibraltartv.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "PARTY LEADERS ON EUROPEAN ELECTIONS". YouTube. 2014-05-19. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  13. ↑ Dieter Haller (2005). "Beyond Europeanization: A peripheral view of culture and the nation state". In Thomas M. Wilson; Hastings Donnan. 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.
  14. 1 2 "By-Election: Election to the House of Assembly" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 16 May 1991. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  15. ↑ "General Election: Election to the House of Assembly" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 16 January 1992. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "General Election: Election to the House of Assembly" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 16 May 1996. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "General Election: Election to the House of Assembly" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 10 February 2000. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "General Election: Election to the House of Assembly" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 27 November 2003. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "General Election: Election to the Parliament" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 11 October 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "General Election: Election to the Parliament" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "General Election: Election to the House of Assembly" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "General Election: Election to the Parliament" (PDF). Gibraltar Parliament. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.