Propaganda-free day

Evangelizing politicians often get lost in their own blurb. Embracing the cliches that, as exceptions, may prove the rule, but don’t form reliable or absolute guidelines in themselves. My enemy’s enemy is my friend and so forth.

Older members of the community may have experienced the phenomenon whereby change often comes in sudden spurts rather than gradually. What was par for the course yesterday may become passe or unacceptable today.

This poses a problem for long-life and long-term politicians who become hardened by the constant grind of public expectation even if, rightly, they focus on the crucial issues of the day.

In this context it’s interesting to see how the two political leaders, Fabian Picardo and Keith Azopardi, have quite different approaches to their engagement with the public and society.

The McGrail saga, wearing as it is, is clearly not over. Nor need it be strung out, but there must be a point of proper closure.

We have yet to see several steps either taken or ruled out:
- Action by way of a legal challenge being taken by the Chief Minister on some of the findings in the Openshaw report
- Detailing of the actions being taken, arising from the report, other than specific Recommendations i.e. what the Governor in his December statement referred to as “serious issues which must be addressed”. What are these?
- Following the Commissioner of Police’s statement: which matters are being considered for possible action and what have been decided on already?
- Only three years ago the Government introduced ‘The Ministerial Code’ under which it would seem possible for the Chief Minister, as Nicola Sturgeon once did as First Minister, to, after discussion with the Chief Secretary, refer himself to an Independent Adviser. It is not clear if this process has been engaged in or considered.
- Civil proceedings in relation to some of the issues touched upon in the Inquiry such as those announced by James Levy in relation to the search warrant.

The legal process is often slow, and some decisions will be contingent on the final outcome. But there are some broader issues, highlighted by the inquiry, which can be addressed. The actual Recommendations, the Government has said, already are.

Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia’s address to Parliament in the ‘no confidence’ motion was broadly balanced, even if some may feel parts underplayed the actual events and consequences.
There would certainly seem to be a need for someone – perhaps the Chief Secretary or similar rank - to take charge not just of the implementation of the recommendations from Openshaw but also give deeper reflection on and implementation of our already existing rules.

The image of Openshaw’s often exasperated face is hard to forget. If his findings and comments had one broad underlying message it was surely for us, collectively, to get shipshape.

‘CONTROL THE NARRATIVE’
So, almost staggering, given the Ministerial Code, is the failure to reflect on issues such as the separation of party and government. In Westminster ministers have totally separate teams to deal with parliamentary issues as opposed to government work. The Gibraltar ministerial code does in fact raise the issue of using official machinery including official social media for party political purposes. Party machinery is for party issues.

In reality, that practice largely existed in the days of the AACR but was subsequently lost and lines were regularly crossed by subsequent governments as the fashion of Press Release politics grew exponentially.

The starting point for change can hardly be a government press office producing a podcast which allows the Chief Minister unchallenged extended airtime in which he not only sets out the art of political use of social media but then has a dig (no comment here on the merits or otherwise) at the Leader of the Opposition’s political abilities.

GBC and the Gibraltar Chronicle, as the only current professional and formal media, have their job to do and ministers should give any spare bandwidth to facing scrutiny and answering questions from them and through them and any other accredited media. Advice on how to engage with government departments e.g. filling tax forms is a different matter.

There is also a need for our paid elected politicians to be objective in their service to the community. Any independent onlooker sitting though the Inquiry would see it identified faults across the board. It’s not about winners and losers.

In that context, issues that should be probed more deeply or around which the public deserve more than leaving them to speculate include:
- The operational circumstances around the accidental death at sea, the response to it, the 2nd Inquest findings (not available to the McGrail Inquiry) and what the whole episode said about police leadership at the time
- Why the then Police Commissioner was saying one thing to the Chief Minister and less of the best available information to the Governor. Was there tiptoeing around a politically sensitive incident (Gibraltar, UK, Spain) given two Spaniards died in Spanish waters in an incident involving the RGP?
- the appropriateness and handling of Operation Delhi

The public, I don’t doubt, want to move on, but also want all these issues properly resolved.

ROLLING STONES…
We have the major challenges ahead that will flow from the UK-EU Agreement, positive and no doubt some negative too. Adapting to a fenceless border will be significant as will Spain’s continued pursuit of its claim over sovereignty.

Despite the Treaty, all indications are that the GSLP/Liberal Government is in train to lose the next election (as it was the last one!). In the current landscape it would be remarkable if the GSD did not win an election if held tomorrow. Even if they don’t, in my view, generate the excitement to convince us that they are primed to implement their many promises.

The whole affair of the McGrail Inquiry has exposed weaknesses across the board that should not have been tolerated as long as they have been.

Funding is an important part of improving the standards in public service including policing, but money is an enabler not a solution in itself. Independent leadership in the Civil Service is vital.

The public also has a major role to play in bringing change. Our ‘social contract’ needs our active participation.

The big challenge is to review the way in which we conduct government and politics, to prioritise the political health of our institutions. To be able to learn from criticism and take it on the chin.

Why do I keep thinking about John McEnroe…

Bedside reading: Deep in a Dream by John Gavin
Podcast at https://substack.com/@dominiquesearle