Blog Post: Gibraltar Deserves Better than Bickering over Murals
Murals and More
Election year again. That beautiful time when the paint gets slapped on every facade while the press releases get more frequent and more out of touch. This time we have the luxury of our political leaders embroiled in what can best be described as a squabble, each side more interested in scoring points than addressing concerns or putting forward a vision.0
Regardless of “financial prudence” and debates about how long street art is supposed to last, we should be looking at the core issues which get us here in the first place. In this case, the real issues at play are why ministers in Gibraltar feel unable to act with transparency or to delegate.
Transparency
In terms of transparency we’re being treated to the same old song and dance about how only these ministers can strike a deal and they have to act fast. God forbid, we open things up to a tender process or the artists/developers/blockchain experts might change their mind. Combine that lack of transparency with a place as small and connected as Gibraltar and it’s no wonder we have people speculating as to who an artist was related to in order to qualify for such a generous payout, earned or not.
When so many decisions go through this opaque process, from housing developments to the importation of medical equipment, it becomes about more than just transparency, it creates a total crisis of governance where ministerial whims trump process, policy or expertise. That crisis is affecting our schools, our healthcare, our economic prospects, and our belief that anything can be done to fix things.
Disempowerment
The other thing this bickering should remind us of is the total disempowerment of our civil service: since even the content of a mural needs ministerial intervention. Part of our proud British heritage should be the strength, robustness and openness of our institutions. But for such institutions to function at their best,they need clear directives and a trust in their expertise. They don’t need to be pushed around by the whims of politicians. This again, is a systemic issue in Gibraltar which runs across party lines and it seems one which .
Challenges Mount
As the challenges on Gibraltar mount, we need to empower the people in our institutions so they can run more efficiently and make better decisions. As I’ve met with groups around Gibraltar (small business owners, disability support groups, finance experts, and many more) we keep hearing the same problem - the people in government departments they rely on genuinely want to help, but they’re hemmed in by a lack of process and a lack capacity to act independently. This isn’t just a Gibraltar problem. Countries and businesses around the world over have realised the importance of investing in people and in building capacity if they want to succeed.
To do that, leaders need to spend less time arguing about minutiae when they should be setting high-level strategies and working with their respective departments to see them through. There are some pretty big questions we need to answer if we want to guarantee Gibraltar’s continued prosperity. We need a strategy for how we can move to the sustainable industries which will secure our economic sovereignty. We need a strategy for how we can create better careers for young people so that they aren’t stuck on supply contracts without basic rights. We need a strategy for how we can strengthen our schools and hospitals by developing talent, not just developing the buildings.
The path ahead
It’s big questions like these which are why Together Gibraltar has always championed running on our values, not just on our personalities and our policies. Politicians shouldn’t pretend to have all the answers but they should have a clear vision and a commitment to see that vision through.
I hope that as the elections rolls out, we’ll keep the debates focused on that bigger picture and not just have more finger pointing or looking at the past.