Fabian Picardo is a rude man.
I'd like to know (though not a Gibraltarian) more about that billion pounds off the books hidden debt under the leadership of shyster Mr. Picardo that Keith Azopardi has talked about.
Picardo is out of touch with the people of Gibraltar.
He is also out of touch with reality.
The thing about politicians is that they are actors. They expect you to believe their performances; and are baffled when you don't. Same goes for liars.
The elderly were purposely euthanized. This will eventually come out.
Decimating the public finances was all part of the their evil plan. The Banksters want it all.
His arrogance is stomach-turning, but maybe he is attacking Keith because he can't attack locals for ALL their grievances, as that didn't turn out well for him recently, when he criticized Henry Pinna.
Or maybe he's getting nervous.
Daniel 5:25 And this [is] the Writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
5:26 This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
5:27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found lacking (unworthy).
5:28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided...
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There are extreme and significant admissions, hidden away in the depth of todayâs Gibraltar Chronicle ramblings of GSLP Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, which highlight the dismal state of play of politics in Gibraltar today.
One is his admission that our public finances are not just in a âbad wayâ, but rather are âdecimatedâ, which, at one extreme. can mean âwiped outâ, but another to reduce, diminish decrease or weaken, but in any event, with some element of extreme.
Another is that his politics is about âtruthâ mattering to him, and that Mr. Azopardi is cynically manipulating to advance his political ambition. On Mr. Azopardi, we can agree to a small degree. But is that not also what you, Mr. Picardo, are so good at doing, with your continuous party-political spin, wrongly paid for by the taxpayer?
Mr. Picardoâs statements appear in his Opinion piece published in the Gibraltar Chronicle today, which replies to Mr Azopardiâs Opinion piece published last week, on the 3rd November.
NAKED AMBITION OF PARTY LEADERS
Clearly party politics in Gibraltar is about the naked ambitions of individual party leaders, currently Mr. Picardo, Keith Azopardi for the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD), and Marlene Hassan-Nahon for Together Gibraltar. Gibraltar, and its wellbeing come second to that. All can judge the truth or otherwise of that statement, by the way Gibraltar is governed.
So, âhearts and soulsâ, which Mr. Azopardi and Mr. Picardo both write about, have little to do with much at a party-political level, beyond each party acting in a manner that attracts votes and consolidates the power of one, or other, party leader for as long a term in office as can be achieved by the manipulation of minds with our money.
PUBLIC FINANCES
The blame for the state of our public finances is put by Mr. Picardo, squarely on the Covid pandemic (oddly he fails to mention Brexit). He justifies this statement by alluding to Danny Feetham of the GSD, having said that, irrespective of where our public finances were at the start, the result, following the pandemic, would have been the same.
Mr. Picardo, of course Covid would have affected our public finances, but not âdecimatedâ them, as you now admit it has done, had we started from a stronger financial base.
A financial base that would have been made stronger by less recurrent public expenditure, more prudent financial government, less public borrowing, and, possibly, with the Government having reserves of some substance, as Sir Joe Bossanoâs GSLP administration put aside, in his days.
What Mr. Picardo fails to identify, because it does not suit his spin, is that the starting point was bad because the GSD begun that wasteful and reckless profligate process, and it was worsened by the GSLP-Liberal Alliance Government under Mr. Picardo.
The motive of each being the quest for and desire to remain in power, hence Mr. Feethamâs position. No one can believe that the end position would have been the same, had the starting position not been one of greater financial stability.
Continues at the link.
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by MARK VIALES
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo clashed with Brexiteer MPs at the House of Commons on Wednesday regarding how much control the European Court of Justice (ECJ) may or may not have over Gibraltar law.
A full cast of Conservative MPs grilled the Chief Minister on their concerns regarding Gibrexit negotiations that centred on a potential infringement of British sovereignty via the ECJ. Picardo insisted at the Houseâs European Scrutiny Committee he believed the ECJ would not be required and the courts were not holders of British sovereignty but rather âcustodians of public moralityâ.
âAs you know, I am not a Brexit purist,â Picardo responded assertively to Conservative MP David Jonesâ âmischievousâ question on whether he could contemplate any role at all for the ECJ in the interpretation of EU law applicable to Gibraltar.
by James Crisp, James Badcock, The Telegraph
The 1,398ft high landmark, home to the famous Barbary Apes, is also a key part of the Gibraltarian governmentâs emergency Brexit plans.
The mountain is honeycombed with 33 miles of tunnels and chambers, some dating back to great sieges of the past, and more than Gibraltar's land mass of two and a quarter square miles.
During the Second World War, a subterranean secret fortress, impervious to heavy bombardment, was carved out and General Eisenhower planned Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, under the Rock.
Gibraltarian officials have cleared out some tunnels and vaults to stockpile vital supplies or blocked exports to Spain just in case a deal isnât reached.
âThis should increase our storage capacity from something like two days to two months,â Dr Joseph Garcia, the deputy chief minister of Gibraltar, told the Telegraph and said some caverns were âthe size of cathedralsâ.
Brexit is still not done in Gibraltar, where 95.9 per cent of people voted to Remain in 2016, after last yearâs deal deadline was missed. In the dying hours of last year, transition arrangements to buy time for more talks were agreed.
However, the border crossing with Spain could soon be consigned to history if UK and EU negotiators, who meet next week, strike a post-Brexit deal to create freedom of movement with Spain.
It would make the crossing, a vital part of the economy in Gibraltar and neighbouring Andalucia, invisible.
Now, in a mitigated no deal, Spanish border guards turn a blind eye to EU rules by not stamping Gibraltarians passports when they cross, if they can show a residentâs card.
If the documents were stamped, they would be subject to a 90 day limit in visa-free travel agreed in the Brexit negotiations with the UK.
Spanish citizens pass through automatic e-border gates at the border. If a deal is reached frontier checks will be moved to Gibraltarâs nearby airport, a short walk away, and its port.
That would free Gibraltarians and Spaniards to cross into each otherâs territory with no checks in a common travel area.
Fears that Brexit would spell disaster for Gibraltar were soothed when it became clear there would be minimal impact on the UK-focused financial services and online gaming industries, which are the pillars of the local economy with the port and tourism.
But the territory is entirely dependent on its Spanish workforce to staff its offices, bars and service industry.
âWe are short of manpower,â said Christian Hernandez, the president of the Gibraltarian Chamber of Commerce.
âIf we get to a position where these workers are not able to come to work every day because they are going to face a three hour queue then that is going to have quite a damaging effect for our economy.â
Gibraltar imported almost ÂŁ381M of goods and services from Spain in 2013. Spanish Frontier workers earned more than ÂŁ102M in 2013 and over ÂŁ65M of this money was spent in the neighbouring AndalucĂa regions of economic activity.
Covid hit Gibraltar and its economy hard but the Iberian peninsula did benefit from the UKâs early lead in the vaccination race. Many frontier workers got their jabs on the Rock.
Over the border in Spain, Juan Franco, the mayor of LĂnea de la ConcepciĂłn sees Gibraltar as a way to transform his crime-ridden town of 70,000 people into a prosperous and semi-independent municipality.
With more than 30 per cent unemployment and the biggest base in southern Spain for hashish smuggling across the Strait of Gibraltar, La LĂneaâs formal economy is dependent on its 10,000 frontier workers.
âIf you remove the border, fear will disappear and investment will flow in as never before. Gibraltarians have been hesitant because they have seen how Spain can close the frontier, and people on both sides lost everything,â Mr Franco told The Telegraph â from his office looking over towards the Rock.
Tired of what he calls years of suspicion and under-funding of La LĂnea, Mr Franco wants a referendum on turning the town into an autonomous community with its own tax regime. He has so far been denied permission by Spain's government.
âThere is nothing for us on the Spanish side of the border, and it would be a disaster for Gibraltar if people like me could not cross each day,â said Antonio SĂĄnchez, a 55-year-old social worker from La LĂnea, who has worked with children and the disabled in the British territory for more than five years.
âIn La LĂnea the only thing I might find is a job as a janitor or selling lottery tickets, if Iâm lucky,â said Rosendo Oliva, a plumber who was recently made redundant.
The government was forced to arrange a daily ferry to keep the local Morrisonâs supermarket stocked with British goods such as sausages and bacon after Brexit.
In 2002, 99 per cent of Gibraltarians voted to remain under UK sovereignty, which dates back to 1713, in a referendum.
The Union Jack is proudly flown and pubs sell real ale, fish and chips and full English breakfasts.
Non-EU imports such as goods carried by British lorries travelling from Dover must now be checked in and out of the bloc.
That was impossible at the frontier so a daily ferry is put on from Algeciras, the nearest port with the infrastructure to check the goods back out of the EU.
âItâs been a hugely cumbersome, bureaucratic and time consuming procedure for us in a small administration,â Dr Garcia admitted.
Relations with Gibraltar have warmed in a way unthinkable when Madrid was branding it a tax haven and a colony.
Spanish diplomatic sources said they hope to get a deal done by Christmas and cement an area of shared prosperity
But Gibraltar has its red lines, including that the EU border guards are from the blocâs Frontex agency and not Spain.
âThe future of Gibraltar is British, British, British and nobody should make any mistake about that,â said Fabian Picardo, Gibraltarâs First Minister, this week, as he ruled out any âSpanish bootsâ on the ground.
Meanwhile, under the mass of its most famous landmark, Gibraltarians are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.
Read article at link on MSN.
Tunnel photo by Michael Scott/Carters News - World war two tunnels running through Gibraltar
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âThe future of Gibraltar is British, British, British and nobody should make any mistake about that,â said Fabian Picardo
Is Fabian British?
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The whole of Gibraltar identifies with being British, as practically everyone voted to remain a part of Britain over Spain and National Day is very important to Gib.
Now, if your question is layered to include that Brit - ish means "man of the convenant" as explained here â "The word British is Hebrew. It means "the People of the Covenant " or in other words "the People Israel", whose written Constitution; under that Covenant, that they have rejected to their own loss; is written in the Bible (Israel's Book) that they still swear on to tell the Truth, but whose Constitution, under which there are no poor people, is then foolishly rejected by almost everyone, in favour of inferior and unjust, man-made laws and economics whichcause poverty and therefore also crime brought about by deprivation and desperation."
Then, I'd say Picardo is definitely not British, as he cares not about keeping God's Covenant.
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"My parents instilled in me the simple principle of equality, that nobody is better than anybody else and that we shouldnât look down on absolutely anyone because all of us are created equal."
Fabian Picardo
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In addition one might ask, who is his father?
John 8:33 Jesus said unto them, IF God WERE your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent me.
8:34 Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my Word.
8:35 Ye are of [YOUR] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father (inventor) of it.
8:36 And because I tell [you] the Truth, ye believe me not.
8:37 Which of you convicteth me of sin? And if I say the Truth, why do ye not believe me?
8:38 He that is of God heareth God's Words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God. King of kings' Bible - John
Travellers from the United Kingdom, who are not European Union residents, are required to pay a fee to enter the countries within the European Union from next year. The non-European Union residents need to pay ÂŁ5.89 to enter the 26 countries in the Schengen Area. A new travel authorisation system, European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) which is scheduled to begin in 2022 will supervise security documents and travel fees for travellers.
As per the Daily Record report, ETIAS is a visa waiver system, wherein people travelling to 26 countries in the Schengen Area need to fill an online form and pay âŹ7. Reportedly, travellers can submit their online form on the official website or the app available on mobile phones. The Schengen Area consists of 26 countries including popular tourist destinations for travellers. Britain does not fall under the Schengen Area which includes 26 countries, resulting in the travellers from the UK following the same rules as other residents of non-European Union countries.
More at link.
This scheme would be inefficient for the Gibraltar/La Linea crossing, but could play into Gibraltar "becoming part" of the Schengen Area.
EU introduces âŹ7 tax on entry into Schengen Area as from 2022
Is Gibraltar entering the Schengen Area and allowing Frontex to control the border a good idea?
It's definitely been a hot topic -
Is Spain seeking integration of Gibraltar with the Campo area via Schengen?
Gibraltar waits on EU to determine post-Brexit future with Schengen deal set to expire
Spain Gloats It Has Been Given Control of Gibraltarâs Borders as Part of Brexit Deal
It seems like politicians always make solutions so complicated. Attorneys and their agreements, contracts, treaties etc - each vying for control or to have the upper hand/benefit. What actually is the simpliest solution (Political posturing aside)?
We might be in the early stage of a unification of The Campo de Gibraltar.
PLEASE HELP TO PROMOTE - Very Important Messages for the People of the Campo de Gibraltar
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Gibraltar chief minister Fabian Picardo tells MPs that Brexit has created "administrative burdens" that are reducing the variety of goods that shops can stock. But he says he is "confident" a new post-Brexit treaty will "resolve current issues".
A solution to the EU-UK dispute over sausage exports to Northern Ireland could also secure the presence of British bangers in Gibraltar's supermarkets, the peninsula's chief minister has told MPs.
Fabian Picardo, speaking to the House of Commons' European scrutiny committee, said that Brexit had created "administrative burdens" that were reducing the variety of goods that Gibraltar's shops can stock.
The chief minister said he was "disappointed to see that some of our supermarkets are not able to offer the range they were able to offer before now", as he stressed the importance to the "character of Gibraltar" of its supermarkets being able to stock British products.
Article link.
From Dispatch: Gibraltar clears out secret wartime tunnels bored into the Rock to stockpile Brexit supplies - â "The government was forced to arrange a daily ferry to keep the local Morrisonâs supermarket stocked with British goods such as sausages and bacon after Brexit."
Seriously - why so much concern over an unclean meat that is forbidden to consume according to God's Law?
Deut. 14:8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it [is] unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.
Related -
Spainâs countryside rises up against âpig factoriesâ - Love of God or Love of Pork
If the push is to eat less meat, give up the meat â like pork â that Father said NOT to EAT.
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Since he took on the task of ensuring Gibraltar's survival should the Brexit talks collapse and Gibraltar ended with a hard border, the deputy chief minister Dr Joseph Garcia has been busy working out contingency plans.
And it has now emerged that such plans include clearing out world war tunnels to stockpile vital supplies, should the case arise.
In an interview with the Telegraph, he said: âThis should increase our storage capacity from something like two days to two months.â
The Rock is a key part of the Gibraltar governmentâs emergency Brexit plans.
The mountain is honeycombed with 33 miles of tunnels and chambers, some dating back to great sieges of the past, and more than Gibraltar's land mass.
Gibraltarian officials have cleared out some tunnels and vaults to stockpile vital supplies or blocked exports to Spain just in case a deal isnât reached.
Newspapers galore carried references of the plan to utilise the secret tunnels.
BORIS RULES OUT EUROPEAN COURT ROLE IN GIBREXIT TREATY
by MARK VIALES
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday ruled out any role for the European Court of Justice in a potential treaty on Gibraltar between Britain and the EU.
The strong declaration in the House of Commons came on the same day the Gibraltar Government flew to Brussels for the third round of Gibrexit negotiations.
âI see no future role for the European Court of Justice,â said the Prime Minister in response to Conservative MP David Jones who asked whether the UK will exclude any role for the ECJ in any potential deal.
Last week Chief Minister Fabian Picardo clashed with Conservative MPs on EU aspirations to control aspects of Gibraltar law and whether this represented an infringement on sovereignty.
Picardo âlightlyâ accused Jones from the UKâs European Scrutiny Committee of unleashing a âmischievousâ question regarding what, if any, role the ECJ may or may not have.
âAs you know, I am not a Brexit purist,â Picardo responded assertively to Jonesâ âmischievousâ question on whether he could contemplate any role at all for the ECJ in the interpretation of EU law applicable to Gibraltar. âI am starting at the other end of the treaty. I believe that by the time we have written the operative clauses of the treaty, it will not be necessary to have the dispute mechanisms system directly applicable to European Court jurisdiction in Gibraltar, but that is not the litmus test, for me that is.â
There will be a âa completely different Gibraltarâ without a negotiated Brexit deal for the Rock, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told GBCâs Direct Democracy on Tuesday night.
Responding to questions from the public, the Chief Minister said he remained âoptimisticâ that a âsafe and secureâ treaty for Gibraltar could be agreed within the parameters set out in the New Yearâs Eve framework agreement.
But he underlined too that the Gibraltar Government, working closely with the UK Government, has been preparing in parallel for a âno negotiated outcomeâ.
âWe have done a lot of work there, but let me tell you the truth, the unbridled truth because it is important that people hear it,â Mr Picardo told GBCâs News Editor, Christine Vasquez.
âNo negotiated outcome does not mean that any Government of Gibraltar would be able to keep things exactly the same as they are.â
âIt would be a very different outcome for Gibraltar to the one that we have lived day-to-day since we became members of the European Union and Spain became a member of the European Union and the frontier was open.â
âThere will be a lot of obstacles in the way of fluidity at that frontier and that would cause a lot of logistical issues, also economic issues.â
âThere is no way you can plan yourselves out of that with ferries or other systems.â
âIt will be a completely different Gibraltar we will be dealing with.â
For now, the progress of the treaty talks remains under wraps, with neither Gibraltar, the UK, Spain or the European Commission offering any significant detail on the nature of the discussions.
Mr Picardo returned from Brussels last Friday evening and said he is confident a deal will be delivered, although his Government is not giving a ârunning commentaryâ at this stage of the negotiations in order to âtactically protectâ certain things for the good for the people of Gibraltar.
âI am confident that that can be done in a way that preserves Gibraltarâs sovereignty, jurisdiction and control,â Mr Picardo said.
âThis is a classic line we have been using since about 2010, that preserves all our equities in our sovereignty, jurisdiction and control.â
âAnd that deals with what Gibraltar wants the most, which is to ensure that all our issues over sovereignty are untouched by whatever it is that we agree about fluidity in immigration terms, fluidity in goods terms, but none of that affects our status or indeed our sovereignty in any way.â
âThat is what we are determined to deliver.â
Responding to questions from members of the public, Mr Picardo said it is âpossibleâ that an EU Negotiating team will come to Gibraltar for a âtechnical visit rather than a political visitâ.
Mr Picardo denied the allegation that there cracks are beginning to show in his Government, adding that since coming into power 10 years ago, he has led a âhyperactive governmentâ.
But he said the past 21 months have been a challenge for his Government, which has had to face the unprecedented challenges brought by both the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.
COVID PANDEMIC
On the issue of Covid-19, Mr Picardo said a lockdown would be a âlast resortâ, but that he could not completely rule out another lock down in Gibraltar in the event that there was a risk of life or to the provision of healthcare services.
Reflecting on the past 18 months, he said that prior to the first lockdown, he had never envisaged ever having to implement such draconian measures curtailing peoplesâ freedoms.
A viewer asked about vaccine liability and what compensation would be available in the event that the Covid-19 vaccine led to a severe adverse reaction or even death.
The liability for any compensation will be absorbed by the UK Government âso long as the Overseas Territories handle the vaccine in the way that it is provided forâ, Mr Picardo said.
He said this immunity was extended to all overseas territories when the UK was purchasing the Covid-19 vaccines.
Mr Picardo said Gibraltar has been âvery luckyâ in both obtaining a supply of vaccine and achieving a high take-up of the jabs.
âIf you look at Gibraltarâs inoculation rate and you compare it to the places talking about the mandatory vaccine, it is because they need to get their up towards the level of coverage that we have had in Gibraltar,â the Chief Minister said.
âI therefore do not anticipate that we will ever consider a mandatory vaccine process.â
âBut I have learnt in the context of Covid over the past 21 months that you cannot stare into a crystal ball and think you can see the answers.â
âThings that seem to be certain one day might be uncertain in another, in particular when you have people who are in charge of people who are vulnerable, and if you want to work with people who are vulnerable, different rules apply to you if you want to work in that particular department to the conditions that apply if you just wanted to live a general life.â
Mr Picardo said this is particular to the issue of teachers, adding that based on the advice of the Director of Public Health, there is âmuch greater riskâ to children and other teachers if a teacher is unvaccinated, and therefore they would have to wear PPE while teaching.
But in the context of the general population, Mr Picardo does not envisage a British jurisdiction imposing a requirement for mandatory inoculation.
Addressing a question on why the take up for the Covid-19 booster is âless than 50%â, Mr Picardo said this was a âlittle more complexâ.
âThe GHA is trying to reach out to people for the booster but people are approaching the booster in a different way,â Mr Picardo said, because there is an element of weariness because of the side effects.
âThey are getting their timings wrong, we are having issues which we didnât have in the first roll out.â
âI donât think there is a rejection of the booster, I think getting people to understand the importance of the booster now has been a bit more complicated.â
https://www.gbc.gi/tv/programmes/direct-democracy-123
46 min.
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You can choose to believe Picardo's lies, but a lockdown is already planned. They are setting the stage - all countries involved in this Scam and Deception are just moving at different paces. Picardo is going to act like he doesn't want to do it, playing his part as a viper, then Helen Carter is going to come in as "bad cop".
The current Government of Gibraltar and Gibraltarians should take heed to EU-Parliament's MEPs speaking up against the tyranny.
Already many Gibraltarians KNOW they speak the truth. We know you are using all kinds of psyops and conditioning to keep everyone in their place. How long do you think you have? You know people are going to rise up, which is why officers are being trained for crowd control.
Is the GoG or high command involved in brainwashing police officers to think that the unvaccinated are murderers? It's happening in Germany: "Question of the demonstrator: Am I a murderer? Policeman: Yes, because you are unvaccinated." English version here. It's the VAXXED that are not a human-being anymore. Always the opposite.
In the EU-MEP latest communication, Christine Anderson says: "Just because we canât fathom our govt having an ill-will toward us doesnât mean it isnât happening."
She goes on to say -
"Your once free democracy has been transformed into a totalitarian regime... I am emploring all of you around the world who think your governement is looking out for your best interest â at no point in history people forcing others into compliance have been the good guys. The welfare of humanity has always been the alibi of tyrants."
This means you too Picardo!
"The vaccine doesn't protect you from Covid. It protects you from governmental oppression (for now)."
Christine Anderson, MEP of EU-Parliament, addresses Aussies' SOS. What's happening in Australia is coming more Western Nations and parts of Europe are already seeing it (ie Germany).
She might as well be addressing Gibraltarians, even though Picardo and the GoG are setting up a totalitarian government at a slower pace:
If this YT video is taken down, you can watch it on Brighteon â Response to Australia's SOS from Christine Anderson - European Parliament
Article about her speech - https://www.europereloaded.com/5-meps-respond-to-ursula-von-der-leyens-proposal-to-talk-about-mandatory-vaccination-in-eu/
This was addressed by Vicky Bula on Vaccine Awareness Gibraltar â GIBRALTAR VACCINE ADVERSE REACTIONS - #14 by Cheeky-Monkey
Gibraltar has been coerced into taking the jab; many jabbed already know this and they are pulling back from taking the third poisonous innoculation. We know what you say today can change tomorrow, Mr. Picardo.
When will you enforce compulsory boosters? When your "papers-please" pass is up and running efficiently? We know the plan is "Boosters forever". This is the plan BigPharma is imposing on the NHS - which is coming to Gibraltar - whether you placate Gibraltarians now or not - giving them just a thread of hope you won't lockdown or make poisons mandatory. Remember your other role is Chief Booster.
We already know Picard is walking in stride with with the Rockefeller Plan.
And for the Jewish community in Gibraltar, you may wish to listen to this holocast survivor about the parallels of then with now â " âAnd thatâs how it is done ⌠step by step ⌠slowly.â â https://epiic.net/auschwitz-survivor/ (AKA FABIANISM)
His video is on Brighteon as well Warning From an Auschwitz Survivor: 'Recognize the Signs'
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Government Stresses Enforcement Of COVID-19 testing regulations
Written by YGTV Team on 10 December 2021.
The Government says that, as the new Omicron variant has been detected in the United Kingdom and possibly Gibraltar it is even more important that all passengers travelling by air are tested for COVID-19 soon after their arrival in Gibraltar. The Government says it is a requirement under the Civil Contingencies Emergency (Coronavirus) (Requirements on entry into Gibraltar and testing) Regulations.
A statement continued: âIn the last few days, there have been several occasions on which local passengers have failed to take their compulsory Lateral Flow Test within 24 hours of arriving at Gibraltar Airport.
âAll these passengersâ addresses and phone numbers are on record so they can easily be identified. Since Sunday 28 November, at least 23 individuals have failed to take their tests within the mandatory period of time despite repeated phone calls and visits to their home addresses.
âThe RGP will enforce any breach of the regulations and offenders will be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of ÂŁ300.â
RGP policy enforcers - government foot-soldiers. Omicron will be used to tighten their grip.
"The Government says it is a requirement under the Civil Contingencies Emergency (Coronavirus) (Requirements on entry into Gibraltar and testing) Regulations."
EXACTLY AS PICARDO FORESHADOWED.
BOO! Variant in Gib? - THE BOTSWANA OMICRON "BOO" VARIANT - #39 by Cloudcity â Despite the fact that this so-called variant is very mild, the Gov goes ahead and tightens its grip.
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On GBCâs âDirect Democracyâ programme transmitted last night, not once was Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo challenged on any answer given by him. The programme, from the minute he was welcomed to the new government financed studios, became a propaganda platform for Mr. Picardo and his GSLP-Liberal Alliance Government.
There was no democracy in the programme, direct or indirect, beyond that viewersâ questions were put to Mr. Picardo, and his answer accepted at face value. It was a platform for Mr. Picardo to put forward his views without challenge from any quarter.
NO DEMOCRACY-DIRECT OR INDIRECT
GBC viewers were treated to a mere 45-minute platform, in which Mr. Picardo was allowed to bat away questions unopposed, or not answer the questions that he was asked. 45-minutes that were rendered nigh on useless as an exercise in democracy, not least because of the absence of follow-up or critique.
The programme was an example of the lack that exists in Gibraltar of the âfourth estate â(the press) as an independent democratic institution that helps to safeguard expression and freedoms in a democracy. It is an absence which shines through constantly.
Last nightâs misnamed âDirect Democracyâ GBC programme simply emphasises the vacuum that exists. That it is called âDirect Democracyâ is a mockery of the reality of what it was, namelyâDirect Propagandaâ.
Continued at link.
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There are initial signs that patience is running thinner on the time being taken over the talks between the EU and the UK engaging Gibraltar. Spanish Foreign Secretary, Jose Manuel Albares, indicates as much. He said late week the negotiations could not go on indefinitely, despite also saying that âthereâs no deadline by which to reach an agreementâ.
His statements shows that, if agreement is not reached, then talks will simply be ended, and the consequences of âno dealâ will need to be faced. Mr. Albares did not put a date on the talks concluding. His UK counterparts have been more explicit in this regard, suggesting that 31st March 2022 may be an end date.
EXTENSION INDICATES ADVANCES
Temporary arrangements over Gibraltar, following Brexit, have again been extended for three months beyond the 31st December 2021. It signals that some advances must have been made in the ongoing negotiations, and that optimism reigns that agreement can be reached, otherwise any prolongation would be pointless.
There is no doubt that noises coming out from all participants are positive, not least the reference by all to âconstructiveâ progress being made, and to the shared commitment to the 2020 Political Framework by both the UK and Spain. However, that commitment is not accepted by EU negotiators.
The EU mandate, as said by each of the UK, Spain, and Gibraltar, goes beyond the parameters set out in that Framework. It seems that the difference in position may be a difficult hurdle to surmount, that time constraints delimit the ability to overcome.
Continued at link.
Brexit has opened the door for the UK and Spain to deepen their cooperation on defence and security issues â and potentially resolve longstanding âirritantsâ for the UK relating to Gibraltar.
Both governments have met on several occasions to explore closer ties between their respective armed forces under the umbrella of NATO, a dialogue that is happening in parallel to negotiations for a UK-EU treaty on Gibraltarâs post-Brexit relations with the bloc.
While the two are not directly linked, the work done jointly by all three governments in pursuit of a treaty presented opportunities in other areas, including defence.
âI think there's an opportunity there, probably through the umbrella of NATO,â said Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, the Governor.
"Spain will continue not to like Britain and Gibraltar having defence assets in the way that we do, [and] that is forming part of our discussions with Spain outside the treaty negotiations.â
"Spain and Britain are the closest possible trading partners. politically weâre aligned, weâre Atlanticists, weâre expansionist, weâre internationalist."
"And the difficulties over creating a treaty for Gibraltar have actually opened the door, I think for both countries, to discussions about a much closer association between Spain and the United Kingdom."
"And that's not just economic, itâs also in defence terms."
The UK has several âirritantsâ relating to Spainâs stance on the use of the military infrastructure on the Rock, including Madridâs ban on overflight for military planes heading to and from Gibraltar, and persistent unlawful incursions into British waters.
The UK wants to find a way to resolve those irritants and defuse any tension around the use of Gibraltar as a military base, starting from the premise that both countries share common interests and allies within NATO.
As with everything related to Gibraltar, however, the issue of sovereignty is a restraining factor.
"Fundamentally, Spain's whole foreign policy approach is the issue of sovereignty over Gibraltar," Sur David said.
"They contest sovereignty, we contest their argument."
"A lot of that is to do with defence assets in Gibraltar."
"They clearly have ambitions to have greater control over those defence assets in Gibraltar."
"But to use a rather hackneyed line now, that is our red line."
"Now, as a military man, I would love to see more NATO assets using Gibraltar, including Spanish assets."
"This is the most strategic port of call in the western Mediterranean.â
âHow wonderful it would be to once again see a NATO flag hanging over the ships in the harbour in Gibraltar, and other nations using Gibraltar International Airport to help service their operations elsewhere."
"If we could achieve that while retaining the controls we have over what goes on in Gibraltar and how we use the facilities here, which is a red line for the United Kingdom, then that must be in the interests not only of the United Kingdom and Spain, but NATO more generally."
The discussions come at a time when the Ministry of Defence has boosted it use of Gibraltarâs military infrastructure as part of the UKâs âGlobal Britainâ policy and the integrated defence and security review.
A central part of the UKâs new strategy is the projection of âsoft powerâ around the globe, and locations such as Gibraltar play a crucial role as âforward basesâ providing logistical support to UK military assets operating around the globe.
"Gibraltar has always been recognised for its strategic position, no more so than now," Sir David said, citing threats ranging from the increased Russian presence in the Mediterranean, to tensions in the east Mediterranean and the Sahel regions, and the challenges of migration.
"Gibraltar provides that secure forward base from which defence assets can operate.â