John Culatto
THE fledgling leader of Together Gibraltar rang the war cry for his broken party ahead of the next election after founder and MP Marlene Hassan Nahon stepped down last month.
The TG executive chose Nicky Calamaro as the interim leader of the ‘progressive political party’ Hassan Nahon formed in 2018.
He later confirmed plans to have an alliance with the GSD that has been in Opposition since it left office in 2011.
Former leader and TG founder Hassan Nahon said she would not stand at the 2023 election, leaving a gaping hole in the party structure.
Calamaro rued her decision as ‘a difficult blow’ and praised her ‘sincerity, compassion, and crystal-clear conviction’.
“TG was never about personality politics, but Marlene’s enormous charisma and touching humanity permeated almost all of the party’s output,” he said in his address.
“Her involvement at the forefront will be sorely missed by all members of Together Gibraltar, as well as by many others across the political divide.”
But in his first address as leader he put across his vision for TG continuing to be ‘a home for progressive voices’.
He attacked the established order and said Gibraltar needed ‘something different from the same old the same old rich lawyers and their friends’.
Calamaro seemed to be continue the ‘barristocracy’ jibes from his predecessor while selling his party to the ‘whole sections of the community being left behind’, said in his own words.
Democracy
“It is time we stop pretending that we can represent everyone and that we start taking sides,” he said in his speech.
“So count us in with the working class Gibraltarians struggling to make ends meet, with the LGBTQ+ community who deserve acceptance not tolerance and codified rights, regardless of who is in No. 6 at the time.”
He added he would support ‘feminists fighting for fair treatment and respect in parliament and beyond, climate activists looking to safeguard our future and our natural environment.
Finally, he said he wants to represent ‘the disabled community who have been left behind by broken promises and the silenced public servants trying to make their community a better place’.
Calamaro met with the Gibraltar Heritage Trust and the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses in the last few weeks.
He summed up his vision with the three pillars of ‘equality, democracy and sustainability’.
The party is now looking forward to this year’s election where it will try to take away votes of discontent from the GSLP/Liberals.
But low on political experience, and battered by losing its talismanic leader who held the party’s only seat in Parliament, analysts are curious to see how they combine with the more conservative GSD.
ALSO READ:
- Together no longer: Gibraltar MP Marlene Hassan Nahon will not stand at 2023 election for party she founded
- Chief Minister condemns ‘antisemitic’ comments about TG leader
- Chief Minister reaches out to Gibraltar working people in pre-election meetings across British territory
