Arise Sir Joe, ‘a Gibraltarian patriot’

Government Minister Joe Bossano is to receive a knighthood in the Queens’s New Years Honours List for 2018, in recognition of his services to Gibraltar.

Sir Joe, a former Chief Minister, has been appointed as a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George.

Last night Sir Joe said he was humbled by the knighthood, despite his core beliefs as a lifelong socialist.

“All of the things I’ve done in the last 45 years are things that I believed in doing because they were for the good of Gibraltar,” he told the Chronicle.”

“I believe that if you have an ability that can be used for the benefit of your community, then you should use it to that end.”

Sir Joe said he had devoted his life to fighting for the right of Gibraltarians to decide their own future and that of their homeland, in the process defending the sovereignty of the British Crown in Gibraltar.

And he spoke with pride too of his work in developing Gibraltar’s economy to a position of strength.

“You have to be strong enough economically to be able to disagree with others in you have to,” he
said.

“You can’t do that if you can’t pay for yourself.”

Leading the messages of congratulations, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo hailed Sir Joe as “a Gibraltarian patriot and a hero of the working classes” and said the honour was “richly deserved”.

“The whole of Gibraltar will want to join me in congratulating Sir Joe Bossano on the granting by Her Majesty the Queen of this distinguished honour on my ministerial colleague and former Chief
Minister and Leader of the Opposition,” Mr Picardo said.

“I lead the Cabinet, and no doubt the whole Parliament and the rest of our community in extending our most sincere congratulations to Sir Joe.”

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