Thank you Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. If I may, I’ll start by saying how pleased I am to be with you all again tonight, just a few weeks after the first public meeting of our Devolved Integration Forum. Our Movement is now steadily gathering both strength and momentum and I am delighted to add my voice to the many others in welcoming our guest Kevin Kelway, a staunch friend of Gibraltar.

I’ve been asked to focus my remarks to you tonight on the related questions of autonomy, self-government and Devolved Integration. I’m particularly pleased to be able to do so as I believe in all three and feel these connected issues are at the very heart of our cause as Integrationists.

Now, at first sight, local autonomy and self-government for Gibraltar may seem to be incompatible with Integration in any form. After all, some might say, how can we want the control of our local affairs to be as much in our own hands as possible, yet at the same time seek to submerge ourselves within Britain ? Isn’t the idea of government by ourselves really the complete opposite of government by London ?

Well no, it isn’t. In reality, Gibraltar has never been an independent territory and in my view never could be. Here on the Rock, the realities of our situation are that we have only two long-term alternatives as a people…a future with Spain or a future with Britain. Of course we seek the latter, but in a new form which is obviously different in many ways from our present situation but also from the previous non-devolved Integration ideal of the sixties and seventies.

In addition, our local autonomy to date (such as it is) has always been ultimately subject to colonial control from London. This situation has always existed, of course, without any direct representation at Westminster. I know we have many stalwart allies in Parliament and I applaud them. But that is not the same as having our own directly-elected voice which we continue to lack. Obviously, this is a key democratic deficit in our current British status and one that Devolved Integration would redress.

We should have such a voice. We should be respected and acknowledged within the UK governing establishment as we are starting to be among the ordinary people in the country at large. In fact, we should be fully embraced for ever by our fellow-Britons as co-citizens, not just with the right to live there, but to have our territory fully linked as well. We want Gibraltar to be just as much a part of the UK as England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.

This means we must have a similar (if smaller scale) array of devolved functions, but tailored to our own needs. After all, the model of devolved integration, such as it is, in the four main British countries does vary from one to another. So will we. The actual principle of this long-term solution to our problems is much more important than artificial uniformity of detail.

A part of all this is that there is no essential conflict between our own local Parliament here in Gibraltar and our own voice in the wider one at Westminster (or indeed the much larger one in Europe too). What we need is a healthy balance between the two, one that guarantees a secure, stable future based on a truly democratic Gibraltar within a flexible, decentralised Britain within a Europe with the same features (actually, I believe Europe needs much reform in that direction but that’s a topic for another day).

Well, I’ve been pleased to have the chance to speak on these matters to you tonight. But there have been others who have made at least equally valid and valuable contributions in these regards and some of them are in this room tonight. But not all.

In particular, I’d like to pay tribute again to another true friend of the Integration ideal, Mr.Ken Westmorland. Many here know Ken, an IWBM member and an indefatigable fighter for the cause for many years. On his excellent website at www.gbz.co.uk , he has a concise yet effective question and answer page. Here is an extract :

“Why integration with Britain?

The overwhelming majority of Gibraltarians want to remain British, and maintain Gibraltar's constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom. However, this does not mean that the status of colony is the only way to preserve that relationship. Making Gibraltar an integral part of the UK, with representation at Westminster, is an option which has popular support, but the UK refuses to countenance the idea, while offering nothing as an alternative to the status quo, except the possibility of joint sovereignty with Spain.

What difference would it make to the way Gibraltar is governed now?

Gibraltar could retain the self-government which it already enjoys. Self-government within the UK is a more plausible option than before. Devolution has been introduced in Scotland and Wales and may follow in the regions of England. It has also been restored to Northern Ireland. The 'asymmetrical' nature of devolution in the UK, means that different regions enjoy different degrees of self-government, so Gibraltar's special status could be safeguarded. Another possibility is Crown Dependency status, enjoyed by the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which is another model for integration. See also a draft Gibraltar Bill incorporating the proposed new Gibraltar Constitution into a UK Act of Parliament.

Isn't integration with Britain incompatible with self-determination?

No. Integration is a form of self-determination, and is recognised as such by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1541 (XV): The establishment of a sovereign and independent State, the free association or integration with an independent State or the emergence of any other political status freely determined by a people constitute modes of implementing the right of self-determination by that people. (extract from the Declaration on the Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations Among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, 1960).”

Thank you Ken, ably put.

Now, a more personal experience !

Recently a group of us from my Party were pleased to take part in this Movement’s distribution of literature in the city centre. As always around mid-day on Saturday, the Piazza area was crowded with shoppers scurrying to and fro, often with very young or very old relatives in tow, often with heavy bags full of purchases. Despite this, we were continually impressed throughout the morning by the large numbers of people who not only accepted the leaflets but actually read them and quite often wanted to stop and talk about them. “Oh you want Integration ? so do I “was a very typical remark. We’ve heard comments like this before, of course, but this time there seemed something different in the air, a wider public feeling than before.

All this is good news, we are keeping our objectives in the public eye and the public (or at least many of them) are responding with enthusiasm. But we need to harness that. How can we help all these people feel more involved and what can they do to contribute more ? These are questions I believe all of us here tonight should address. One idea has recently been put forward by my friend and political colleague, Mr. Anthony Balloqui.

Briefly, it would involve a sort of unofficial referendum to be conducted by the IWBM among Gibraltarians. This would enable us to develop an objective picture of just what proportion of our compatriots do in fact support Devolved Integration, rather than our just relying on the (admittedly very encouraging) opinion poll and anecdotal impressions we get. We could then move on from that point to organise mass letter-writing campaigns and the like among the undoubted thousands who support us.

But there's another side to all this. As we know, not everyone is a fan of the IWBM or its objectives. I’m sure you’ve all noticed, as I have, the tortuous twisting, turning and dodging lately among some politicians in Gibraltar. In the past one or two of them were rather vocal supporters of Integration but now no longer seem quite so enthusiastic. Can this be, I wonder, because the goal is becoming a real prospect at last. They are therefore forced to face an actual situation where Integration could really happen rather than just a political theory which looked like it would never come about. Quite a different outlook altogether.

Well, their backing-off (and indeed their hostility in some cases) is actually a very encouraging sign. We should take heart from it. Our opponents are starting to feel challenged by us, our friends in both Gibraltar and Britain are daily growing more numerous and our Movement continues to gather pace.

We’ve still got a long way to go, but, my friends, our goal is in sight. Let’s grasp it !

Thank you.

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