GSD closes campaign with swipe at Alliance ‘fear mongering’

GSD leader Keith Azopardi put forward key points in his campaign at the party’s last press conference ahead of the general election tomorrow.

The press conference focused on the GSD’s assessment of the choice voters need to make as they cast their votes.

He summed up his campaign, which has been centred on anti-abuse, anti-corruption, housing, and the party’s flagship project for a college.

At the party headquarters in College Lane, Mr Azopardi criticised the GSLP/Liberals on their track record on negotiating a UK/EU for Gibraltar’s future with the bloc a failure.

He hit out too at their campaign, which he labelled as “fear mongering”, and said the GSD is “not soft on Spain”.

He described recent letters issued by the GSLP/Liberals, which included commitments not included in the Alliance manifesto, as a “desperate scramble for votes”.

“Anyone receiving a new promise will also look at it with scepticism because they'll think, well, hang on, why wasn't this part of your plan if you're able to do it?” he said.

“And then generally people will look at all these things which have a financial impact and say how is it possible that all these things can now be done?”

“Whether it's opening of the counters or whether it's now lowering pensions to the age of 60, that all of this can be done relatively quickly when you haven't done them in 12 years.”

“Their manifesto commitment to lower equalised pensions at the age of 60 was dates back to 2011 and hasn't been done and when you actually look at their manifesto commitment on pensions, the 2023 manifesto commitment, it's much more guarded than some of the things they've been saying on the campaign trail.”

Mr Azopardi added the GSD would change the housing allocation system to a more efficient system and would provide around 1,250 rental and affordable homes.

He also highlighted their 30-year plan called ‘Gibraltar 2055’, vocational training commitments and a comprehensive approach to special needs.

On anti-corruption, Mr Azopardi said, if elected the GSD have a substantial programme to stop abuse.

“There's hardly a mention in the [GSLP/Liberals] manifesto on how they intend to deal with those issues,” Mr Azopardi said.