We must stop dragging our out of date baggage behind us

Now that the foreign affairs committee of the Moroccan parliament have passed two laws to “re-actualize” the limits of its territorial waters; aimed to assert its sovereignty over its entire maritime coasts; perhaps its time for us to once again urge the UK Government to do likewise. Read more

It’s for Great Britain to find a solution

Not wishing to dwell too much on the subject, nevertheless the issue needs our attention because it causes unrest in our midst, and like a cancer, can spread through a country where at present there is great dissatisfaction with its lot. I speak of the party Vox; a party whose leaders are concerned with flattering the prejudices of the mob, and their own. Some time back, the Spanish people were more or less content with their circumstances, because they were resigned to a restricted and artificial range of emotions, taking things as they found them.  Read more

Gibraltar must help Australia NOW

Australia is suffering a never-ending forest fire. Over a million animals have died and hundreds of homes destroyed. People have also died and there is no sign of this curse subsiding.

Australia was the only country at the United Nations in 1965-1966 that spoke in favour of our decolonisation and against the Spanish insistence that we be handed over to Spain.  Read more

It is time for a showdown

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the EU stands for what it purports to do; an association of sovereign states designed to further their shared aims. I doubt that there are many shared aims; it’s more a case of each member state furthering their own agendas and yes, getting the backing of the EU to rubber stamp their goals.  Read more

The end of an Era, or perhaps not

After what seems a decade shaped by the introduction into our lives of a nightmare called Brexit, and the overwhelming desire by the peoples of the world; not so much its governments; to introduce new ways to try and halt climate change; it feels like the end of an era to me. Yet it isn’t. The question is whether this end of an era, will usher in the possibility of completing something satisfactorily, either on the Brexit front, or the convincement of certain governments to have the political will to change their ways and if not halt, at least delay climate change for now. Immediately after the UK election results, the mood in the EU towards Britain was no longer “you are out in the cold,” but, “what we now look for is close cooperation.” I once hard a local politician say that women talked too much; I believe it’s the politicians themselves who are over verbose, when they are made to feel uncomfortable.  Read more

Improvements at Post Office

Dear Sir,

Our Royal Gibraltar Post Office often comes under complaints, whether incoming or outgoing mail the Postie is going to get it in the neck!

Have you noticed the beautification of the Post Office building? The Irish Town box section has had a makeover, not only has it been refurbished but large prints have been put on display along the corridor also all private Post Boxes have been painted.  Read more

Those cannons

Dear Sir,

Read with interest the article that appeared in the Panorama of the 11th of December 2019 reference to the 2 historical cannons that are placed on our historical fortress wall ,actually, Orange Bastion area next to the The American War Memorial.

I would like to say that those 2 cannons that have been mentioned in the article (in set photo) are not the Crimea War ones as it has been referred to.  Read more

Who has actually benefitted from all this chaos?

Gibraltar’s Chief minister said some time back “ I think we’ve agreed enough of the substance of the practical arrangements between us, the UK, the EU and Spain, that we might seek to put in place some sort of safety net.” I believe the Government has by now achieved this, and no doubt our community is much relieved to hear it. We all need to feel secure, especially now with what has been going down.  Read more

Being British is a linguistic problem

Dear Sir,

Earlier this year, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee published its report 'Global Britain and the British Overseas Territories: Resetting the relationship', and one territory that was virtually absent from it was Gibraltar, the irony being that it was while visiting the Rock that I first read about it. Although the Deputy Chief Minister wrote to say that the Chief Minister was willing to give evidence to the Committee, as his predecessor did in 2008, he gave none, oral or written.  Read more

‘SELF-DEFENCE CLASSES FOR LADIES’

Dear Sir,

I have followed with great interest the hot issue of 'MUJERES MALTRATADA' and VIOLENCIA MACHISTA' in the press and Spanish Tv.

I can only applaud the efforts and initiatives instigated and implemented by Minister for Equality, The Hon. Samantha Sacramento to address this important subject in Gibraltar by changing and implementing new laws.  Read more

Thanks from National Dance Team

Dear Sir,

Through your column I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has made and invaluable contribution to our recent participation at the at the IDO World Show Dance Championships 2019, held in Riesa, Germany.

We would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Gibraltar Cultural Services, Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority, Gibraltar Cultural Grants Committee, Morrisons Management – Gary Chant, Shane Brown, Albert Flores and the general public who supported our fundraising initiatives.  Read more

CARMEN GOMEZ DIARY

Why the only human group left on the planet are humans

Recently there have been new studies published where it has been reported that complex disease transmission patterns could explain how modern humans were able to wipe out Neanderthals in Europe and Asia, in just a few thousand years; with research coming to the conclusion of why possibly humans, are the only human group left on the planet. One doesn’t have to look back as far as the ice age, to realize that said phenomenon also caused the devastation of entire tribes of people during the New World age; to the point of near extinction.  Read more

Dog and Wolf

Dear Sir,

I was looking at some books and came across this story by Aesop, and I thought it might be interesting for some individuals.-

THE DOG AND THE WOLF

A GAUNT Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. “Ah, Cousin,” said the Dog. “I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?"  Read more

'Gibraltar Botanical Gardens Closing Time

Dear Sir,

On quite a number of occasions I have come across whole families and groups of people trapped inside the Gibraltar Botanical gardens during the winter evenings.

The notice board at the entrance to some of the many gates states in small letters that Opening Times are 8 a.m. till 9 p.m. and in even smaller print it adds ‘or sunset if earlier.  Read more

What exactly is Gibraltar’s worth to the UK

When the realization comes that we have been treading the same boards, on the same stage as we have done for years, and for some strange reason our audience has not changed one iota; one has, not to capitulate, but look at how we have done things in the past, and understand that we have to change the content of the script; not just for survival’s sake alone, but for our future wellbeing, and because we owe it to those who came before! Our stance at the UN has to be revived; it has to be seen with fresh eyes and fresh input; because our performances so far have fallen on deaf ears; or better said; on ears that will not listen. The audience has become stale and we as players need some new strategy that will not so much wake them up, but rock their foundations. Read more

Can history repeat itself when we least expect it?

The ARMANDO LAGRANDE Column

The chief minister Fabian Picardo is as pleased as Punch because the Governor re-states the UK commitments to Gibraltar, such as Gibraltarians' right to self-determination.

Of course, we have heard it all before, or have we forgotten the Tony Blair era when the people of Gibraltar hailed the 1969 constitution as something that fully safeguarded the right to self-determination.  Read more

MoD business

From Carmen Gomez Diary:

Last year Trevor Taylor, a professional Research Fellow in Defence Management, wrote on July 24th that haziness on future MOD funding is likely the reason for an update on the modernising defence programme, Read more

Pretending to be what it is not

Dear Sir,

Like Joe Caruana, I welcome the election of Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker of the House of Commons, but as far as Gibraltar is concerned, it is a setback, as he will no longer be able to take part in debates, be they on Gibraltar or anything else. Actually, it would have been better had Chris Bryant been elected given that he was much more supportive of Spain during the joint sovereignty discussions, even arguing that: 'Commercial lobbying companies would be banned using a House of Commons pass to run a campaign within the house. The same should apply to Gibraltar.' In fairness, he has since visited the Rock and sounded much more sympathetic than he once did.  Read more