Founded 1989 | ||
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Ideology ConservatismLiberal conservatismBritish unionismPro-europeanism | ||
The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) is a centre-right political party in Gibraltar.
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The GSD was the governing party in Gibraltar for four successive terms in office under the leadership of Peter Caruana from the 1996 general election until the party's electoral defeat in the 2011 election by the GSLP–Liberal Alliance.
History
The party emerged, after the collapse of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights, as the main opposition to the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP).
In 2005, the GSD has merged with the Gibraltar Labour Party, retaining the GSD name for the enlarged party. The merger was unpopular with many members of both parties, causing some high-profile GSD members to resign their membership, including deputy leader Keith Azopardi and executive member Nick Cruz, who went on to form the short-lived Progressive Democratic Party.
In January 2013, Peter Caruana (who was the then Leader of the Opposition), announced he was stepping down as leader and taking up a backbench position until his 4-year term was over. Caruana declared that he would not fight the next election and will be stepping out of politics completely. The leadership was contested by two GSD MPs: Daniel Feetham and Damon Bossino. Feetham was elected on 4 February 2013 as Leader of the party by majority vote of the executive. This was the first time a party's leadership was to be democratically contested between two candidates.
Policies
The GSD is traditionally viewed as a party of the centre-right due to its conservative policies. The party supports the current constitutional status of Gibraltar as an autonomous British overseas territory and is opposed to any proposal of joint British–Spanish sovereignty. The GSD has traditionally been less hostile in its attitude to Spain than its main rival, the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.
Elections
In the 1991 by-election to the Gibraltar House of Assembly, following the resignation of GSD Leader Peter Montegriffo, Peter Caruana was elected party leader and won 61.81% of the popular vote to fill in the vacant seat.
In the 1992 election, the party won 20.2% of the popular vote and 7 seats.
In the 1996 election, the party won 52.20% of the popular vote and 8 seats.
In the 2000 election, the party won 58.35% of the popular vote and 8 seats.
In the 2003 election, the party won 51.45% of the popular vote and 8 seats.
In the 2007 election to the newly named (and reorganised) Gibraltar Parliament, the party won 49.33% of the popular vote and 10 seats.
In the 2011 election, the party won 46.76% of the popular vote and 7 seats, unable to secure a fifth term.
In the 2013 by-election, the GSD candidate Marlene Hassan Nahon won 39.95% of the popular vote.
In the 2015 election, the party won 31.56% of the popular vote and 7 seats.
The GSD endorsed the Conservative Party in the 2015 British general election.