SYSTEMIC GOVERNANCE PROBLEMS” REVEALED BY MCGRAIL INQUIRY

As part of our ongoing coverage of the McGrail Inquiry, TG has today highlighted the “systemic governance problems” revealed by the investigation.

In our social media posts today, we have highlighted that the lack of an independent civil service, without business links to ministers, has been at the heart of most of the controversy.

Regardless of the particular circumstances around McGrail’s retirement, it is now evident that this is a dangerous way to govern our nation. Since 1996, both major parties have tried to govern Gibraltar as a “PLC”. This approach has bolstered our economy in the short-term but has left our institutions and long-term future at tremendous risk.

We want to highlight that institutions such as the Gibraltar Police Authority should have the independence and ability to do their work effectively, without any ministerial interference. 

This is part of a consistent pattern as shown by the latest audit report. The government’s approach to awarding contracts is still a major problem. Experts, not politicians should be making these decisions. Regulated companies must establish policies and procedures to identify, monitor and manage conflicts of interest. Any self-respecting democracy should be held to at least the same standard.

Without these protections, Gibraltar will continue to be subject to issues like the Chief Minister’s “triple conflict of interest”. The public have been asked to take things on trust for too long and it’s clear this is no longer acceptable. 

None of this means that we should be rushing to conclusions about specific individuals. These concerns which we raise are about Gibraltar’s best interests. We should be cautious about those voices who are trying to use the inquiry to score political points, with no regard for the damage they are doing to Gibraltar.