Opinion: A glorious sea of red and white

The crowds in Casemates Square, just below that great Rock of Gibraltar, a glorious sea of red and white, broke out into a huge round of applause, and the scene was set for the great festival that followed.

The first National Day was held in 1992 to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1967 sovereignty referendum. It is now a wonderful annual celebration of the national pride of Gibraltarians.

Gibraltar is one of our overseas territories and was ceded to Great Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The Spanish maintain a claim to Gibraltar, and following talks between our two countries, the people of Gibraltar themselves were asked to determine their own future.

They were asked whether they wanted to pass under Spanish sovereignty (under terms proposed by the Spanish Government), or whether they wanted to voluntarily retain their links with the United Kingdom, with democratic local institutions, and with the United Kingdom continuing to undertake her responsibilities.

Some 12,138 voted in favour of British sovereignty – 99.64 per cent. That compared with 44 votes for Spanish sovereignty (which was even outstripped by the 55 invalid or blank votes).

On National Day, Gibraltarians pay tribute to those of the “referendum generation.” It was the first time Gibraltarians had been given the chance to say for themselves what they wanted their future to be – and boy did they say it loudly!

Armed only with ballots and pencils, the people of Gibraltar stood up to General Franco’s Spain and asserted their own right to self-determination.

I was honoured to join with the people of Gibraltar and be part of these celebrations.

Whilst I was in Gibraltar, the anniversary of the Accession of HM King Charles III – one year since the passing of Her Late Majesty The Queen – was marked.

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment fired a Royal 21-gun salute at His Majesty’s Naval Base Gibraltar. Alongside the Governor, Chief Minister, fellow Members of Parliament, and representatives from other overseas territories, our great British and Commonwealth family came together to celebrate His Majesty’s first year on the throne.

Gibraltar has a proud history at the heart of some of our most important military efforts. At the gateway to the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, at the foothold of Europe, and within sight of North Africa, Gibraltar has incredible strategic importance.

The Rock itself is an underground city, with a network of tunnels carved out of the limestone. The tunnel running north to south is known as the Great North Road and has chambers named after the towns and cities of the UK – including Peterborough.

I bumped into a Peterborough man and my constituent, Ray Sharp in Gibraltar. He is from the Peterborough Veterans Social Fund and is a Standard Bearer at almost all appropriate events in our City.

I know the proud people of Peterborough stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Gibraltar in thanking them for their military service and celebrating their freedom and self-determination.