A message from the Chief Ministers: Remain

Last night Gibraltar’s current political leaders urged the community to rally behind Remain. Tonight, in a first for Gibraltar, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo will deliver the same message flanked by his three surviving predecessors in the post.

Sir Peter Caruana, Joe Bossano and Adolfo Canepa join Mr Picardo and Gemma Vasquez, the head of the Gibraltar Stronger In Europe campaign, in a final GBC broadcast ahead of the historic vote tomorrow.

Together the four men have led this community for the best part of four decades, something that will make their message resonate even further.

Their aim is to underscore the importance of the EU to Gibraltar and ensure a high turnout for Remain.

“In my view, this is as important as 1967 and 2003,” Mr Picardo says in the broadcast.

“It’s Gibraltarians’ duty to go out and vote for the United Kingdom and Gibraltar to remain in the European Union.”

Sir Peter, who was Chief Minister of Gibraltar for 16 years, echoes that sentiment.

“Membership of the EU has given this generation the high standard of living that we enjoy in Gibraltar,” Sir Peter says.

“It would be wrong and possibly even selfish of us to deny it to our children and our grandchildren, which is what we would be jeopardising.”

Mr Bossano delivers a similar message in characteristically frank terms.

“I think it’s quite simple, really,” Mr Bossano says.

“There is no good reason for voting to get out.”

“When you take decisions, you have to have a reason for doing it.”

Mr Canepa expressed confidence that the community would be up to the task it was being called to.

“People understand the arguments very, very clearly,” Mr Canepa says in the broadcast.

“Our young people understand how much they are benefiting from Europe and they are very enthusiastic about our membership.”

“The message is understood, people are going to turn out in large numbers and we are going to get a result that is nearly as good, I’m sure, as in the previous referendum.”

The broadcast will be shown on GBC at 8.30pm tonight.