Lib Dem MEP joins in Gibraltar National Day celebrations

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Sep 2004

Graham Watson, the South West and Gibraltar Lib Dem MEP will be in Gibraltar today and tomorrow to take part in their National Day celebrations. Gibraltarians are commemorating 300 years of British rule this year. Britain was ceded formal control of the territory by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and its current position is that no change of the territory's status can be negotiated with Spain unless its residents agree. Since July 2004 Mr Watson has represented Gibraltarians following the Rock's inclusion in the South West of England Constituency.

Liberal Democrats have a history of asserting the rights of Gibraltarians, in 2002 South West Lib Dems joined their national colleagues in passing a conference resolution that they would not accept a political settlement in Gibraltar that did not accord with the wishes of Gibraltarians themselves. And back in 1997 the European Liberal Democrats became the first European political party to publicly support Gibraltar's call for its citizens to be granted the right to vote in European elections.

As a result of a European Court of Human Rights decision in 1999, Gibraltarians found themselves voting in elections to the European Parliament in June of this year. The Electoral Commission decided after long consultation to include it in the South West of England constituency. As well as historical and maritime links, it was felt that MEPs representing the South West's diverse communities and interests would be best placed to take on board the distinct concerns of Gibraltar.

Graham Watson commenting today said:

"I am very much looking forward to visiting my newest constituents and taking part in Gibraltar's National Day celebrations, in what is a very special year for Gibraltarians. In particular I look forward to speaking at tomorrow's rally in Casements Square. I am delighted that Gibraltarians are now enfranchised to vote in European elections, for which Lib Dems have been calling for many years."

"The South West of England was a natural choice; the South West and the Rock share a long Naval and maritime history. Indeed, many sailors from Plymouth are buried in Gibraltar's Trafalgar cemetery, which as the son of a Naval officer I shall try to make sure I visit very soon."