*From Chief Minister’s welcoming speech:

Friday, June 12, 2020 - 09:14

Facing challenges is ingrained in the Gibraltarian spirit

Welcoming vice admiral Sir David Steel as Gibraltar's next Governor, the chief minister Fabian Picardo said: We have faced great challenges before. Eighty years ago this month, the evacuation from the Rock of Gibraltarian women, children and some men began. As the Second World War raged they were shipped first to Africa, then to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Madeira or Jamaica. In that year, the first detachments of men who were to form our Gibraltar Defence Force were formed as Gibraltarians joined up to play their part in the war against Nazi Fascism and the Axis forces.

Our magnificent Royal Gibraltar Regiment are their worthy successors. The motto of our Regiment is well-earned, nulli expug-nabilis hosti is their theme.

In keeping with that motto, Gibraltar did not fall to the violence of the Second World War or the politics since then. They returned to homes that needed rebuilding, and they returned to become the obsession and vice of the last Fascist standing after the end of the War, General Franco. He was to put good people through a torrid time, but the Gibraltarians would not bend to his will.

With the deadly weapon of democracy and the ammunition of pencils and ballots, we chose to remain British in our Referendum in 1967. And in 1969, the last full siege of Gibraltar began when Franco closed the frontier. And did our people waver? Never. Because facing challenges, facing down adversity and standing up to injustice is ingrained in the Gibraltarian spirit.

And he added: We did not flinch in the face of Fascism and we will not blink in the light of the challenges we are facing now. It's just not in the nature of the people of the Rock and our political leadership to cower away from leadership. Such are these hardy, yet warm and kind people you now come to live amongst. So in our time and generation, as the baton has passed to a new generation of political leadership on all sides of this House, I have no doubt we will not let Gibraltar down.

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12-06-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR