Whilst I believe that being engaged as a community is a good thing, Gibraltar has often verged on the fanatical. It seems, that every breath we take we want to turn it into a national calamity and an ‘us-versus-them’ situation. Which is often justified but not every time?

But would you agree, that today, Gibraltar is going through a seminal historical moment?

I appreciate that politics, politicians and political parties, are an essential component, to ensure that our democracy functions and that such institutions are there to do the checking and the balancing.

So, is this the time of political reckoning for local politics? Many are of the opinion, that it’s been a unique political situation for a number of years. Certainly, since the last election, but maybe much longer than that? In electoral terms, we have one of the most popular governments on record, yet one, that has sustained regular attacks from diverse quarters, both locally and often from places afar. There is no precedent to a situation where a government party who enjoyed an unequalled popularity at the election now often finds itself under a critical spotlight. Some of it, quite open as we read on most days, others not as exposed?

In my opinion, the situation, is slowly coming to a head. Hypotheses or theories are making way for public evidence. Though until now, it’s probably the tip of the iceberg, so I am confidently informed. But in this report, I won’t venture into the future. But yes, this is bound to be ground breaking, though I cannot guess in what way. Hopefully it all might get us closer to a new way of doing politics?

Entrenched Relationship

Over the last 10 years or so, it’s been absolutely horrific in terms of general political squabbling and backbiting. The chatter being used, is to say the least horrendous. Some politicians are boorish towards each other and are dragging the diehard supporters to heave venom at others on social media, Facebook and in micro-blogging comment boards!

The latter said. I’m not sure we need anyone to tell us there’s an entrenched relationship between politics and big business. During early labour/socialist years, the business class was kept on a tight leash, because the government took a leading role in the economy. But ever since so-called modern socialism – as a practised ideology and electable programme – went out of fashion after the 1980's, the Socialist Labour Party, like Nationalists elsewhere, came to believe in the centrality or the importance of the business class or Neoliberalism to economic prosperity.

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07-08-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR