Together Gibraltar

Ramadan Mubarak to our vibrant Muslim community and to all those observing around the world.

We hope that this month of fasting and reflection will be filled with peace, warmth and community.

We are appalled by the Government's decision to increase housing list eligibility from 10 to 15 years of residency.

This Government made a commitment to reduce the housing list "to zero" by the next election. They have utterly failed to deliver and are now trying to control the numbers by changing the rules.

While the Government has made meaningful investments in supporting homeownership, they have completely neglected affordable rental accommodation for over a decade. This has allowed private rents to skyrocket and left the housing list as the only realistic option for thousands of Gibraltarians.

Check out our full press release in the comments.

We're heartbroken by the news of a devastating train crash in Córdoba that has taken at least 39 lives and left dozens more injured.

Our hearts go out to the families of all those affected, as we grieve together with our friends and neighbours across the border.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Together Gibraltar to you and your families.

We hope that this special time of year brings you all peace, joy and warmth in the days ahead.

We hope all of those celebrating have a wonderful time with food, family and friends, and that spirit of hope which Christmas represents is something we can all share as we look after one another.

This Christmas we are also thinking of all of those still working throughout the festive period. Thank you to all of those still hard at work to keep the lights on and to keep us all safe.

Feliz Pascua Gibraltar!

Gibraltar deserves better than a government that puts personal loyalty above the rule of law.

Read on for our initial response to the Openshaw Report released yesterday and follow for more updates as we analyse the report, its findings, and its recommendations in full...

A 'grossly improper attempt by Mr Picardo to interfere in an active criminal investigation by the RGP, to protect his friend and mentor, James Levy.'

That is the finding which has most struck us from our initial reading of the Openshaw Inquiry Report. After less than 24 hours to digest this extensive report, we wanted to present our preliminary response to the executive summary and its damning conclusions.

The Chief Minister’s Interference

One thing is abundantly clear: the Chief Minister has grossly overstepped his authority on behalf of his friendship with James Levy and his connections to Hassans. Mr Picardo's actions have been found to be constitutionally improper, ethically questionable, and damaging to Gibraltar's interests and reputation.

The report also makes clear that the Chief Minister misled the Gibraltar Police Authority about his reasons for wanting Commissioner McGrail to retire, prioritising his personal and professional relationships over the integrity of our police force and justice system.

Gibraltar’s Reputation

All this comes at a time when Gibraltar is about to embark on one of the most crucial turning points in our history.

International press immediately picked up on the descriptions of the Chief Minister's 'sinister' behaviour. It would be far easier for Gibraltar to make the case that our institutions are independent and robust, had the Chief Minister not spent so much of his time consolidating his own power and making the Gibraltar Government synonymous with himself.

We still believe in Gibraltar's institutions and we will fight anyone who suggests otherwise. But it is clear that major reforms are needed to prevent a repeat of this whole embarrassing saga.

No More Legal Challenges

The last thing we need to come out of this report are spurious ‘legal challenges’ going after the Inquiry Chairman or his findings, as the Chief Minister has already hinted at. We strongly and fervently condemn any attempt by the Chief Minister to obstruct or challenge these findings, and we hope that every patriotic Gibraltarian will join us.

We acted too slowly to prevent the government's vindictive attacks on the Principal Auditor, but we will not let that kind of self-serving behaviour (not to mention the heinous waste of taxpayers' money) happen again.

A Warning to the Opposition

What we also don't need is an opposition party turning these findings into political opportunism, trying to link first-term Ministers to a conspiracy they had no part in.

The GSD's refusal to name Mr Levy or Hassans in their statement shows they are still wedded to the 'Gibraltar PLC' mentality that took root under their watch. This glaring omission speaks volumes about whether they are actually willing to tackle the cronyism at the heart of this scandal. They will not change the core issues which allow law firms and powerful individuals to use the government to enrich themselves, just as they did in the days of Peter Caruana who himself got to profit from representing Mr Picardo in this very inquiry.

The Heart of the Matter

Rather than let justice take its course, the report found that a 'close circle of professional colleagues were seeking to sort this perceived problem out between themselves'. That, in a nutshell, is precisely what this GSLP-led Gibraltar has become. A place where a defendant's lawyer felt comfortable directly contacting the Attorney General on behalf of his client, a place where the Chief Minister felt comfortable hosting this defendant and texting legal strategies to his lawyer about an ongoing investigation.

Gibraltar Deserves Better

Gibraltar deserves better than a government that puts personal loyalty above the rule of law. We will continue to fight for a Gibraltar where our institutions serve the people, not the powerful.

ENDS

Wishing a joyful, safe and hopeful Hannukah to Gibraltar's wonderful Jewish community and to all those celebrating around the world. May this Festival of Lights bring comfort, resilience and renewed hope to every home.

While we hope that our local community can still find some joy in today's festivities, we are all feeling distraught and disgusted by the events in Sydney this morning.

We grieve together for the victims who simply wanted to worship in peace, and we stand in solidarity with all of those reeling from this targeted act of hate. We can only offer our deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by this horrific tragedy.

🌍 Human Rights Day 2025

Today, as the world marks Human Rights Day, and 77 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we have a chance to reaffirm our party’s values and the values we hope Gibraltar will live up to as we get ready to build our futures with the international community in a post-treaty world.

This year's campaign is ‘Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials’. The aim is to remind us that human rights aren’t just an abstract concept, but are core to our daily experiences and the rights we rely on in our day-to-day life: the right to safety, dignity, freedom of expression, and participation in decisions that affect our lives.

For us, this means standing up for those most in need: the vulnerable, the marginalised, and those whose voices are too often silenced. Gibraltar should stand proudly as a community where everyone is taken care of, has the freedom to live as their authentic selves, and the opportunity to pursue their goals.

We also take this opportunity to reject those who try to divide us. The UK government is using today to try and ‘curb’ the European Convention on Human Rights. They are claiming to ‘fight the far right’ while giving them exactly what they demand: demonising immigrants and asylum seekers, stripping away protections, and undermining the very values that hold our societies together. Gibraltar must never give in to this cowardice and stand firm in defending universal rights, not eroding them.

On this Human Rights Day, let’s recommit to building a Gibraltar that stands up for everyone's rights. For ourselves, for our neighbours, and for the generations to come.

Like other parties, we are deeply concerned by the UK Government's decision to double remote gambling duty and its inevitable impact on Gibraltar's economy. Equally troubling however, is the lack of proactive effort from our own Government to diversify Gibraltar's economy in anticipation of these known risks.

Gibraltar's success has always come from our ability to adapt and innovate. We have the talent, the expertise, and the potential to build an even stronger, more diversified economy. What we need now is leadership that matches the scale of the challenge we face.

Read the full press release on our website.