Joe Bossano
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" John Bossano (10 June 1939, Gibraltar
) is a Gibraltarian
politician
, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar
from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition
in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April 2011
. On 20 April 2011, he stood down as leader of the GSLP
, replaced by Fabian Picardo
.
by the London School of Economics
, as well as a degree in Italian
from the University of Birmingham
. He became part of the trade union
movement as a seaman in the 1960s in the UK
. He was a member of the Labour Party
there also.
He was asked by a group of Gibraltarian politicians to return to Gibraltar
and was elected a member of the House of Assembly in 1972, as candidate of the Integration with Britain Party
(IWBP). The IWBP leader, and then Chief Minister, Sir Robert Peliza
, was the mover in 1969 of the Preamble to the Constitution
which safeguards Gibraltar from ever passing to Spain
without the expressed wishes of the Gibraltarians. He also became the Branch Officer for the Transport and General Workers Union (responsible for the public sector in Gibraltar and was the main force behind the attainment of parity of wages with the UK for Gibraltarians).
In 1975, he left the IWBP to form the Gibraltar Democratic Movement
, which won four seats in the Assembly in the 1976 election and two years later became the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.
He has always kept a hard line stance against any sovereignty
deal with Spain without the consent of the Gibraltarians. In 1980 he led a demonstrations of about 2,000 Gibraltarians protesting at the opening of negotiations between Spain and the United Kingdom agreed on the Lisbon Agreement. In 1987 he supported the position of the Government of Gibraltar and the Assembly against any agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom with regard to the joint use of the Airport of Gibraltar. On November 10, Bossano and Joshua Hassan, then Chief Minister, led a demonstration of about 12,000 Gibraltarians, one of the largest ever held in the territory. In February 1988, Bossano and Adolfo Canepa
, the leader of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights
, stated that the Gibraltar House of Assembly
would not approve the agreement reached by Spain and UK in December 1987 on the joint use of the Airport unless Spain accepted the British sovereignty over the isthmus.
In the key 1988 election, Bossano's party called for the self-determination
, expressed its opposition to the negotiations over the sovereignty and future of Gibraltar between Spain and the United Kingdom, and opposed to any transfer of sovereignty to Spain. It also asked for the withdrawal of the negotiations on the Brussels Declaration and opposed to the Airport agreement. The GSLP got 8 seats and a 58.2% of the popular vote. Bossano received a personal vote of 8,1128, about 4,000 more than his contender, Adolfo Canepa. Therefore Bossano was the new Chief Minister.
His re-election in 1992 with a 72% majority vote (using the slogan "Give Spain No Hope"), caused considerable friction with governments in both London
and Madrid
who were looking for a solution to the 300 year old Spanish claim to Gibraltar
. As Chief Minister he maintained good relations with Spanish politicians at municipal level, but would not sit to discuss the sovereignty of Gibraltar with them. During his time in office, Bossano also oversaw significant economic change, resulting from the decline of traditional sources of employment, such as the UK Ministry of Defence
, and the creation of a private sector
economy based on offshore finance and tourism. He broke the back of the severe housing problem existing in Gibraltar before he came into power, by reclaiming land from the sea and constructing hundreds of affordable flats
, which were offered at very reasonable prices, albeit with numerous serious construction defects which took many years and millions of pounds to fix. For the first time, and since then, Gibraltarians have become home owners, rather than renting from the government
, as was traditional.
His main quest is and has always been to achieve the decolonisation of Gibraltar through the maximum level of self-government possible resulting in the removal of Gibraltar from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
.
As leader of the GSLP and the Opposition and following his retirement as party leader, Joe Bossano is still prominent in Gibraltar politics. He stood down as GSLP
leader in April 2011
, replaced by Fabian Picardo
. Bossano remains active in politics and is expected to be a GSLP candidate for a seat in the Gibraltar Parliament at the next election.
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
) is a Gibraltarian
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union...
. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar
Chief Minister of Gibraltar
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party elected to the Gibraltar Parliament, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown.-List of Chief Ministers:...
from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April 2011
April 2011
April 2011 was the fourth month of the current year. It began on a Friday and ended after 30 days on a Saturday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from April 2011....
. On 20 April 2011, he stood down as leader of the GSLP
Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union...
, replaced by Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo , is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer. In April 2011, he was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, replacing long term leader Joe Bossano....
.
Early life and career
Joe Bossano has a degree in EconomicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
by the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, as well as a degree in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
from the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
. He became part of the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
movement as a seaman in the 1960s in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He was a member of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
there also.
He was asked by a group of Gibraltarian politicians to return to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and was elected a member of the House of Assembly in 1972, as candidate of the Integration with Britain Party
Integration with Britain Party
The Integration with Britain Party was a political party in Gibraltar established in February 1967. Although it never won an election, it was briefly in power from 1969 to 1972 when Robert Peliza of the IWBP was Chief Minister.- History :...
(IWBP). The IWBP leader, and then Chief Minister, Sir Robert Peliza
Robert Peliza
Sir Robert John "Bob" Peliza, KBE, ED is a Gibraltarian politician. He founded and led the Integration with Britain Party and was the second Chief Minister of Gibraltar serving in office from 6 August 1969 to 25 June 1972...
, was the mover in 1969 of the Preamble to the Constitution
Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 was published on 30 May 1969 as an Order in Council.The constitution was the outcome of the Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd which lasted from July 16 1968 to July 24...
which safeguards Gibraltar from ever passing to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
without the expressed wishes of the Gibraltarians. He also became the Branch Officer for the Transport and General Workers Union (responsible for the public sector in Gibraltar and was the main force behind the attainment of parity of wages with the UK for Gibraltarians).
In 1975, he left the IWBP to form the Gibraltar Democratic Movement
Gibraltar Democratic Movement
The Gibraltar Democratic Movement was a political party in Gibraltar. It was the forerunner of the present Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. Joe Bossano, Chief Minister from 1988 to 1996, left the Integration with Britain Party in 1975 to form the GDM, which later became the GSLP. In the only...
, which won four seats in the Assembly in the 1976 election and two years later became the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.
He has always kept a hard line stance against any sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
deal with Spain without the consent of the Gibraltarians. In 1980 he led a demonstrations of about 2,000 Gibraltarians protesting at the opening of negotiations between Spain and the United Kingdom agreed on the Lisbon Agreement. In 1987 he supported the position of the Government of Gibraltar and the Assembly against any agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom with regard to the joint use of the Airport of Gibraltar. On November 10, Bossano and Joshua Hassan, then Chief Minister, led a demonstration of about 12,000 Gibraltarians, one of the largest ever held in the territory. In February 1988, Bossano and Adolfo Canepa
Adolfo Canepa
Adolfo John Canepa was a Gibraltarian politician. He has dedicated most of his life to politics and the development of Gibraltar, having served both as Leader of the Opposition and as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 8 December 1987 to 25 March 1988...
, the leader of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights
Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights
The Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights is a now defunct political party in Gibraltar.Like all Gibraltar political parties, it opposed transfer of sovereignty over Gibraltar from the United Kingdom to Spain...
, stated that the Gibraltar House of Assembly
Gibraltar House of Assembly
The Gibraltar Parliament is the legislature of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Between 1969 and 2006 it was called the Gibraltar House of Assembly.-Functions:...
would not approve the agreement reached by Spain and UK in December 1987 on the joint use of the Airport unless Spain accepted the British sovereignty over the isthmus.
In the key 1988 election, Bossano's party called for the self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
, expressed its opposition to the negotiations over the sovereignty and future of Gibraltar between Spain and the United Kingdom, and opposed to any transfer of sovereignty to Spain. It also asked for the withdrawal of the negotiations on the Brussels Declaration and opposed to the Airport agreement. The GSLP got 8 seats and a 58.2% of the popular vote. Bossano received a personal vote of 8,1128, about 4,000 more than his contender, Adolfo Canepa. Therefore Bossano was the new Chief Minister.
His re-election in 1992 with a 72% majority vote (using the slogan "Give Spain No Hope"), caused considerable friction with governments in both London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
who were looking for a solution to the 300 year old Spanish claim to Gibraltar
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
. As Chief Minister he maintained good relations with Spanish politicians at municipal level, but would not sit to discuss the sovereignty of Gibraltar with them. During his time in office, Bossano also oversaw significant economic change, resulting from the decline of traditional sources of employment, such as the UK Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, and the creation of a private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
economy based on offshore finance and tourism. He broke the back of the severe housing problem existing in Gibraltar before he came into power, by reclaiming land from the sea and constructing hundreds of affordable flats
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
, which were offered at very reasonable prices, albeit with numerous serious construction defects which took many years and millions of pounds to fix. For the first time, and since then, Gibraltarians have become home owners, rather than renting from the government
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, as was traditional.
His main quest is and has always been to achieve the decolonisation of Gibraltar through the maximum level of self-government possible resulting in the removal of Gibraltar from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
The United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories is a list of countries that, according to the United Nations, are non-decolonized. The list was initially prepared in 1946 pursuant to Chapter XI of the United Nations Charter, and has been updated by the General Assembly on recommendation...
.
As leader of the GSLP and the Opposition and following his retirement as party leader, Joe Bossano is still prominent in Gibraltar politics. He stood down as GSLP
Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party
The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union...
leader in April 2011
April 2011
April 2011 was the fourth month of the current year. It began on a Friday and ended after 30 days on a Saturday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from April 2011....
, replaced by Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo
Fabian Picardo , is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer. In April 2011, he was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, replacing long term leader Joe Bossano....
. Bossano remains active in politics and is expected to be a GSLP candidate for a seat in the Gibraltar Parliament at the next election.
See also
- List of Gibraltarians
- Politics of GibraltarPolitics of GibraltarGibraltar is represented in the European Union, having been the only British overseas territory which joined the EC under the British Treaty of Accession ....