Gibraltar ‘has a job to do’ before EU referendum – Sir Simon Hughes

Gibraltarians should use their personal, professional and family networks to campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union, Sir Simon Hughes said this week.

The former deputy leader of the UK’s Liberal Party said Gibraltar had a role to play ahead of the ahead of the June 23 referendum on EU membership.

“You have friends, you have family, you have children studying at universities, you have people in the UK all the time,” he said.

“You have a job to do not just here in Gibraltar, but a job to do at getting the message about the importance to Gibraltar of remaining in the EU to the rest of us in the UK and in particular in England.”

“You may have unity across the political parties here and across Parliament, and between the unions and business, but that unity has not yet been achieved in the United Kingdom.”

“So I ask you to use your networks, to communicate the advantages, to share that with others.”

Sir Simon was addressing around 250 guests at a dinner organised by the Gibraltar Stronger In Europe campaign on the Sunborn last Thursday night.

He spoke about Britain’s role as a leader in the EU, helping to determine the bloc’s future policy at a time of increasing global competition and uncertainty.

“Imagine the alternative,” he said. “Can you imagine that we’d have the same level of influence over trade, over business, over environmental policy, over diplomatic policy, over foreign policy, as we have now?”

The veteran UK politician, a longstanding friend of Gibraltar, spoke too of the financial sector and said other European capitals would rapidly seek to replace London as the EU’s top finance centre.

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