Clause 13 - The Gibraltar register
European Parliament (Representation) Bill
4:17 pm
Mr William Cash (Stone, Conservative)
I think I had finished what I was saying. I was merely making the point that for the Governor, who is unelected, to have the power to determine who the European electoral registration officer for Gibraltar should be, if that person were not an
ordinary resident of Gibraltar, without consulting the Chief Minister, seems to be over-egging the pudding.
If the Governor has the power to revoke such an appointment without giving reasons, that smacks of colonialism at its worst. It is like something Viscount Curzon might have done. It is almost beyond belief. The objection is coming from the Tory side. Will the Committee wake up sufficiently to recognise that I am a Tory shadow Attorney-General addressing a mostly Labour Committee that is totally silent on every aspect of the Bill? Labour Members should reflect on the fact that they are putting through ultra-colonial powers. It is inconceivable, if I step back for a minute and think about it.
The hon. Member for Somerton and Frome made intelligent observations about the Bill. His questioning added to the proceedings. This is not just an exercise in negative investigation. The people of Gibraltar have no voice in the Bill's parliamentary consideration. That is an inevitable consequence of the constitutional relationship between Britain and Gibraltar. Gibraltarians understand and accept that. They have said that, as far as they are concerned, the sovereignty of the United Kingdom is not in question and have made it clear that a balance should be struck between the functions of the two Houses. All that is fair.
We are not talking about the shadow Attorney-General and/or the Opposition trying to be difficult on a party political matter. This is a matter of objectivity in defence of the rights of people who are not here. Any remarks that I make can only be addressed vicariously by way of reply through the people of Gibraltar. I may be wrong, but for the purposes of European elections, in which I happen to be involved in my constituency, the region to which Gibraltar is combined may not turn out to be the one to which it becomes engaged—or married.