My dear fellow Gibraltarians

You look GREAT in red and white!

And those of you who are not here at Casemates,

Those at Calpe House in London.

At St Bernards, at Mount Alvernia, the John Mac Wing or Hillsides, at Ocean Views or at home...

Or those Gibraltarians watching us from around the world.

I know your hearts today are as red and white as this square is now and we all are every day

And the sight of you, here, resplendent, will be seen far and wide today.

And one who has not missed the significance of today has been our Monarch.

The King of Gibraltar.

Charles the III.

His Majesty has sent us a message for our National Day.

This morning, His Excellency the Governor handed me a letter from The King that reads as follows:

“My wife and I have great pleasure in sending our heartfelt congratulations to your Chief Minister, and to the people of Gibraltar, as you celebrate the special occasion of your National Day.

"Gibraltar is a treasured member of the United Kingdom family. I cherish the warm friendship enjoyed between our people – a bond and history that you are celebrating today.

"Gibraltar serves as a crucial crossroads for wildlife migration, and I commend you all for your efforts on Nature conservation and Nature-based solutions. Gibraltar’s work in these areas, protecting over thirty per cent of the territory as marine and terrestrial Nature reserves, and developing climate change and travel strategies, and initiatives such as converting car parking spaces to green parks, serve as excellent examples to others.

"My wife and I would like to take this opportunity to convey our warmest good wishes for the coming year.

Charles R.”

Thank You, Your Majesty, for such a generous and gracious message on this National Day.

I have also got today a letter from my friend Sir Keir Starmer.

The Prime Minister wishes all Gibraltarians a wonderful Gibraltar National Day.

He confirms that, today, the Gibraltar flag flies over the Foreign Office as a mark of respect.

Sir Keir reflects that Gibraltar represents social and economic success in a multi faith, multi ethnic and cosmopolitan "community of communities" which the Prime Minister describes as 'an example to us all'.

Thank you Prime Minister.

But most importantly, the Prime Minister says this, which I am obliged to read to you verbatim.

“The UK Government is committed to working with the Government of Gibraltar with vigour to conclude an agreement with the EU as soon as possible, which secures Gibraltar’s future prosperity, while also taking forward contingency planning.

You have my assurances that this Government will never compromise on Gibraltar’s sovereignty. The 10th September marks the day the UK Gibraltar relationship was enshrined in Gibraltar’s constitution. The UK Government will continue to honour and defend it. We will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, nor into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

As friends and family gather to celebrate this special day, the people of the United Kingdom join with the people of Gibraltar in recognising our heritage and our shared ambition for a peaceful and prosperous future.

I look forward to our Governments working together ever more closely.”

As do I, Sir Keir!

THANK YOU, PRIME MINISTER

And I want to thank also, my dear friend, now Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, for his clear message a few moments ago.

And on our collective behalf, I want to thank Baroness Scotland, an old friend of Gibraltar, for her kind message from the Commonwealth also.

And thank you also to all our old and new friends in the UK Parliament who have joined us this year to defend Gibraltar.

Welcome Amanda for taking the helm of the Group.

And thank you Sir Bob for the work you have done until the election.

In fact, Sir Bob Neill has been one of our greatest ever supporters.

He led the Gibraltar Group in Parliament for the better part of a decade.

He has defended Gibraltar and the Gibraltarians like he has defended his own people.

And he helped us to secure the single market in services with the UK.

That is a Brexit-proof guarantee of our future prosperity.

So I want us all to say thank you to Sir Bob today.

I want to ask him to continue to be with us in Defending Gibraltar.

And I want to tell him that at the next meeting of the Gibraltar Parliament, we will be passing a unanimous motion bestowing the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar on him!

Congratulations Sir Bob - soon to be a Freeman of our City.

My dear friends, what is clear to everyone here and in the United Kingdom is that we are an integral part of the British family of Nations.

And of the Commonwealth.

An integral part.

And no one can or should try to untie the knot that binds us and Britain.

We are united.

Forever.

A part for eternity and perpetuity of the British family of Nations.

And in this part of the British realm we have been clear for generations about one thing.

We will never surrender our British sovereignty or any part of it.

For any price.
For any deal.
For any benefit.

And that is why we have said here, year after year, that we will never cede.

Not one grain of our sand.
Not one drop of out waters.
Not one breath of our air.

And we mean it.

Whatever the consequences.

Of course we will work in partnership with our neighbours for the benefit of all of us.
Of course we will work to deliver new fluidity arrangements with Europe after Brexit.
But we will never surrender any part of our sovereignty, jurisdiction or control.

And that means, that when we know one of our red lines has been crossed;

When one of our sovereign assets has been stolen;

From our British waters,

We will not rest until we have it back, however long it takes.

That is why yesterday, in Madrid your government has filed a claim for the return of the concrete reef block that Vox stole from our waters.

That block is presently at the entrance to Vox's headquarters.

Well I have news for Vox and for you, my friends.

We are going to BRING BACK OUR BLOCK.

REEFY'S COMING HOME!

And what will also come will be an agreement between the UK and the EU in our future relationship with the EU.

Because I told you last year that I GUARANTEED, that I would bring back a treaty that was SAFE and SECURE.

Why?

Because if it was not safe and secure, I would NOT bring it back.

And that is why I have not yet brought it back.

Despite some saying that they could have done it earlier.

Doing it quickly is not what matters.

Doing it right is what matters.

As much as not doing it, if it isn't right.

That's why I insist, I will only do a treaty if and when it is safe and secure.

Even if that means it takes longer.

And even if that means that the deal never comes.

Because we are not going to change our position on our fundamentals.

We are not going to betray our ancestors and forefathers who suffered sieges and hardships to defend our land.

Not for fear of new systems.

Or longer queues.

Or a harder Brexit.

Because we are the people of the Rock.

The British Gibraltarians.

The people who saw off Franco, Castiella and Margallo.

And we will stand firm.

As the siege generations stood firm

The evacuation generation clawed its way back to their beloved Rock and their loved ones

The referendum generation stood up to Franco with just a pencil and ballot paper
And the reluctant Brexit generation will defend our children's birth right for the future generations of Gibraltarians to come.

For that is our role now.

My role

Your role

Our role

To stand firm

Come what may

Not to blink

Come what may

And to ensure that on the fundamentals we are as unmovable as our limestone rock that represents stability and unshakeability to the whole world

AND WE WILL NOT FAIL
WE WILL NOT FALTER
WE WILL NOT BLINK

So my message today is clear and unequivocal to anyone here who is ready to give in or give up;

Or anyone outside of Gibraltar who thinks we will give in or give up;I won't tell you once.

I won't tell you twice.

I will tell you three times:

No.
No.
No.

You turn if you want to.

THIS ROCK IS NOT FOR TURNING.

Because we are ready for partnership.

To work together with our neighbours.

And ready to build a better future for all our children.

But we will never capitulate.

We will never give up.

WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR HOME.

Because we are the people of this Rock.

Red, white and blue.
Red, white and PROUD.
Red, white and FREE.

ALWAYS.

FOREVER.

THANK YOU.

I LOVE YOU, GIBRALTAR.