In fact, the electorate everywhere vote for people, real people and not just parties. That’s not to say that somewhere in voter’s minds when they have to decide which name to choose they relate to that person’s programme, the political party, its track record, including what was promised as opposed to what it delivered and in the party position on issues that affects the voting public. At some point, voters obviously relate to that person’s likeability or otherwise!

Politicians Treading Thin Line in a Changing Society

In times like this when strong, and many times, hard decisions need to be taken, a politician who wants to be elected treads a very thin line.

It would be fine, if a politician only had to be nice to one and all for people to choose him or her. But things are never like that and at times like the present, they are decidedly not like that at all, particularly, if the next national election like our own, is potentially over three years away!

And probably why, it’s no surprise and an undeniable fact, why a good part of the Gibraltar society has changed of late. It’s not because of any after effects of the Covid-19, not at all, it’s all linked to the state of local politics today?

Where, but a few years ago, the mood and opinion of the general public was largely easy to predict on any given issue. Today’s reality, is very different altogether. There is plenty of evidence which confirms that public opinion has radically shifted!

It is perhaps unsurprising, that certain recent issues where attitudes have changed most sharply, is the same one that has recently placed politics in the national spotlight. It’s not the pandemic, but Government plans for Line Wall Road and other well publicised proposed policies regarding other roads and other announcements made regarding other matters are glaring examples that continue to rumble on as daily news items.

Most strikingly, has been the response and the change in public attitude towards these latter political decisions. I’m not suggesting everyone is of the same opinion. But as a political reporter for Panorama for a good many years I am easily adapt in gauging public opinion and reaction, including many who have remained (publicly) silent. But here, there is also scope to clearly evaluate the ‘deafening silence’ of some of the more vociferous party faithful. A silence which might tell you something or confirm other theories!

Economy in Intensive Care

The situation now, not only involves the politically confused goings on with Line Wall Rd which is worrying many and enraging others. But it also reflects a situation where the Gibraltar economy has been dragged quite openly into the political arena. It’s also, where the Government for whatever reason, is unable to provide comprehensive public information on the exact state of the Gibraltar economy which is obviously in ‘intensive care’ after the public health Covid months!

Like most other jurisdictions, the local economy obviously also took a big Covid hit, so we are led to believe. How big is still unknown? To the ordinary citizen, it doesn’t look good. The pressing issues are the answers to outstanding questions where most want to know just how bad and where, how and for who… has the tax payer’s money gone?

There’s still a great deal of uncertainty about the impact of Covid-19 and the governments’ all-round response to limit, not only, the pandemic’s human but also the economic effects. The current political debate and public disquiet centres around several key issues, but generated by a similar amount of key questions?

The present situation, also places its finger squarely on a dilemma that is all too frequent. Local political parties often seem content with a status quo that no longer suffices to placate an increasingly demanding and independent-minded public. To insist on ignoring evidence for this change is not only unfair on the part of politicians; it is also unwise, because if a political party ceases to appeal to genuine causes, it has also lost its very ‘raison d’être’ which in French means ‘reason for being’!

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13-07-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR