The Diplomat
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gibraltar (APPG) held its inaugural constitutive meeting of the new Parliament in the House of Commons on Wednesday, according to a note from the Gibraltar Government.
Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, was elected as the new Chair of the APPG. MP Martin Vickers – a former Conservative member of the previous APPG for Gibraltar – was appointed as Vice-Chair, along with former Europe Minister, Conservative MP Wendy Morton, and new Liberal Democrat MP Alasdair Pinkerton.
Following the election of the Officers, Gibraltar’s representative in the UK, Dominique Searle, gave MPs and Lords an overview of the current situation on the Rock.
The inaugural meeting was attended by elected representatives of the four major parties in Westminster: Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party. The Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party were also represented at the meeting, reinforcing the broad cross-party support that Gibraltar receives across the parliamentary spectrum, the note states.
In total, the number of MPs and Lords interested in attending future meetings required by the new regulations is already far exceeded.
In accordance with the new rules established for APPG members, the formation of the group will be ratified by the Speaker of the House of Commons in the coming days to ensure compliance.
