Fabian Picardo

The Honourable
Fabian Picardo
MP
7th Chief Minister of Gibraltar
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 December 2011
Monarch Elizabeth II
Governor Adrian Johns
James Dutton
Preceded by Peter Caruana
Personal details
Born February 18, 1972[1]
Gibraltar
Political party Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
Spouse(s) Justine Olivero (m.2011)
Children Sebastian
Alma mater Oriel College, Oxford
Website Official website

Fabian Picardo QC (born February 18, 1972) is a Gibraltarian politician and barrister. He is the current Chief Minister of Gibraltar. He was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party in April 2011, replacing long term leader Joe Bossano. In December 2011, he was elected Chief Minister of Gibraltar, replacing Sir Peter Caruana.

Early life

Picardo was born into a working-class family and schooled in Gibraltar. He studied at the local Comprehensive School and went to study law at Oriel College at the University of Oxford. His contemporaries at Oxford included the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron (Brasenose College)and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (Magdalen College). In 1993, he graduated with a degree in Jurisprudence from Oriel College. He attended the Inns of Court School of Law at Gray's Inn and was called to the Bar in 1994. He is also a Member of the Middle Temple. Speaking of his upbringing Picardo has stated: "I am the product of that upbringing. I understand what it is like when people don't have jobs and I consider myself a worker. My parents worked very hard indeed to enable me to become a professional; and I won't allow anything to go to my head and make me think I am better than any other worker or anything other than a worker, especially as Chief Minister."

Legal profession

Once he had achieved his qualification he returned to Gibraltar and joined Hassans International Law Firm in 1994 where he was a partner for over 10 years only stepping down after being elected Chief Minister. Fabian Picardo also ran the Hassans summer school programme. He has appeared in numerous courts for Gibraltar including the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He was called to the Bar in Gibraltar, the British Virgin Islands and has worked extensively in Commonwealth countries.

Political career

In 1991, Fabian Picardo was one of the founders of the Gibraltar National Party, now the Liberal Party. However, in 2003 he left the Liberal Party and joined the GSLP. That year he stood as a GSLP candidate in Gibraltar's general election and was duly elected as a Member of Parliament. In his first election he came second to party leader Joe Bossano in the GSLP list, third in the GSLP/Liberal list (after Liberal leader Dr Joseph Garcia). In his second election he came second to Bossano in the whole GSLP/Liberal list. He took over the leadership of the GSLP from Joe Bossano in April 2011 when the veteran socialist leader stood down (although he remains an MP and is the Minister for Employment in the current Government). In December 2011 Picardo led the GSLP Liberal coalition in to Government and is now Gibraltar's seventh Chief Minister. Dr Joseph Garcia has been leader of the GNP and now Gibraltar's Liberals since the party's inception and hence during the period when Fabian Picardo was a member.

Gibraltar's European vote

The fact that Gibraltarians enjoy a vote in the European Parliament and have done so since the 2004 election is a result of the GSD government's legal challenge in Matthews v United Kingdom, which was financed by the government under Sir Peter Caruana. Gibraltarians had been denied the right to vote and Fabian Picardo was amongst those who represented Gibraltar at the European Court of Human Rights achieving victory in 1999. At the time he was a junior lawyer in the legal team and was worked alongside senior counsel Michael Llamas QC - who was identified the opportunity and drove the case, and Lewis Baglietto. Picardo has said he is delighted to call them both friends and Michael Llamas QC is currently the Gibraltar Government's legal officer.

Asked why he became a lawyer and a politician Picardo replied: "As a young man I always saw the legal profession as one of the safeguards of the rule of law and the rights of individual citizens against the state. In particular, I was aware of lawyers locally who helped working class people and who didn't charge them. I am delighted to have become a partner in such a man's firm, that man being Sir Joshua Hassan QC. From that perception of one aspect of what the practice of the law can be it was a small step to becoming actively involved in politics, in particular in defence of our struggle as a people."

Political philosophy

As soon as Fabian Picardo was elected leader of the GSLP in April 2011 he set out his political philosophy, stating: "I have a desire to be part of the defence of our sovereignty against the aggression we face every day from our 'friendly neighbour' and those here on the Rock who do not understand the simple words "No Surrender". No surrender of our right to open government, no surrendering of our duties to care for our people, no surrender to the concept that Gibraltarians should find dignified jobs, no surrender of our hopes and dreams for Gibraltar and certainly no surrender of our sovereignty on land or sea."

As Chief Minister

Fabian Picardo at his office in 6 Convent Place.

Since Fabian Picardo became Chief Minister, he has promoted a change in the perception of Gibraltar internationally. Links with the United Kingdom have been promoted too, with Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague being vocal in their support for Gibraltar against any aggression from Spain and in defending the right of Gibraltarians to self determine their own future. Picardo was Gibraltar's first Chief Minister to be invited to a number of one-to-one meetings with the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street as well as keeping in close contact with Hague and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Gibraltar now attends all the sessions of the United Nations Fourth Committee, as did his predecessor Sir Peter Caruana and Committee of 24 in New York where Picardo robustly puts his country's case for delisting from the UN's list of colonies. He also attended Barack Obama's second inauguration as President of the United States in Washington, D.C. in 2012 and has opened up links with the US administration and Congressional leaders. Fabian Picardo plays an active role in supporting Gibraltar in Brussels at both the EC and EU as well as at the European Parliament. Picardo has stated his for Gibraltar: "I am in politics because I believe in protecting the Gibraltar that I grew up in and making it stronger in the international community of nations. I want to see the quality of life of Gibraltarians improve and I want to see Gibraltar stay British as a guarantee for our future in respect of education, the rule of law and the quality of our democracy."

In government

Picardo's GSLP Liberal Government was elected in 2011, winning by a narrow margin on the basis of a very ambitious manifesto. The Government has claimed it is delivering on some of its manifesto promises and its popularity was reflected in a by-election victory in July 2013 which saw the GSLP candidate win with 50 per cent of the vote and a ten per cent majority over the GSD. However there has been sharp criticism in Gibraltar over Picardo's alleged misleading the Gibraltar Parliament and for his Government often refusing to answer questions posed by the Opposition MPs. The campaign by the Spanish People's Party against Gibraltar, which started in August 2013, has seen a major increase in the support for the rights of the people of Gibraltar. Picardo, along with the British Government, has made it clear he will stand up for and defend Gibraltar yet he has constantly made it clear he is fully prepared to engage in discussions with Spain on shared problems and opportunities for the benefit of both communities.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fabian Picardo's Facebook profile".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fabian Picardo.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Fabian Picardo
Party political offices
Preceded by
Joe Bossano		 Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
2011–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Peter Caruana		 Chief Minister of Gibraltar
2011–present 		Incumbent