The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia has told UK Conservatives that Gibraltar’s place in the British family of nations is “unshakeable and unbreakable”. Dr Garcia was addressing delegates gathered during a packed Gibraltar Government reception at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.

The event was also addressed by the Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel, who once again stressed the support for Gibraltar and its people from the Conservative Party. It included many friends and supporters of Gibraltar, including Members of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and former UK government Ministers.

In her warm address, she spoke about the event as "More than a gathering of friends - it is a gathering of family. And as a Conservative family, let me be crystal clear: every square inch of Gibraltar is British. Let me repeat that - every square inch of Gibraltar is British."

Dr Garcia pointed out how Conservatives had defended Gibraltar’s British sovereignty, rejected the Spanish claim and asserted the right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination. He recalled that former Prime Minister David Cameron had once said that defending Gibraltar was in the blood of the Party.

The Deputy Chief Minister reminded those present that Gibraltar had been able to participate in the 2016 referendum and was the only UK Overseas Territory to do so. He assured them that the post-Brexit practical arrangements envisaged with the EU “will have no bearing on our British sovereignty”, and made the point that the people of Gibraltar were as proudly British today as they have ever been.

Dr Garcia declared that the Government was there to celebrate this historic partnership between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. This was a “partnership that stretches back over three hundred years, as solid and as enduring as the Rock itself and a bond which will never be broken.”

The Deputy Chief Minister also recalled the importance of Gibraltar in the defence and security interests of the United Kingdom. This stretched back to two World Wars, countless regional conflicts and the battle to take back the Falkland Islands. More recently, he reminded those present, Gibraltar was the first territory in the world to act on sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. He said that Gibraltar’s credentials in this field spoke for themselves and that this was a badge that Gibraltar wore with pride.