By Mark Montegriffo

Peter Montegriffo has got a number of political observers buzzing about his suggested temptation to return to politics. On Saturday’s front page piece on the Gibraltar Chronicle, the former AACR and GSD talisman cites the ‘uncharted waters’ that Brexit represents and the ‘particularly complex’ political environment that follows. However, it has been over sixteen years since Montegriffo was a Minister in Parliament and it seems that throughout that time there have been rumours spread consistently of the Hassans lawyer playing the prodigal son of local politics, with no real consequence. Therefore, our time would be better spent considering the potential that is realistic and of the present political generation.

Indeed, one cannot ignore the various resignations and retirements from the GSD front bench. Out of the seven MPs that won Opposition seats in 2011, five of those have, for different reasons, left. Some have seemingly retired for good, namely Sir Peter Caruana, Isobel Ellul and Jaime Netto among them. Others, such as Damon Bossino and Selwyn Figueras, have not lost touch with ongoing political dialogue. Bossino has been very active in his appearances on various European television and radio programmes, from Germany to Spain and the UK. While it is unlikely that they would cause as much of a stir if they had announced their temptation to return to frontline politics, it is worth noting that they do not have the nostalgia value that Montegriffo can enjoy.

What they do have, however, is recent parliamentary experience (that’s not withstanding the vast experience they have had in their field and in various political bodies) and a broad popularity with GSD core voters, as seen back in 2011. It would be interesting to see how they can thrive in favourable and stable conditions, with a party structure that gives them the freedom to develop their ideas and communicate them to the wider electorate. Three years on from his leadership challenge to Daniel Feetham, Bossino must surely be considering the possibility of returning before he has been out of the picture for as long as Montegriffo. For now, he seems the only ordinary member of the GSD who could conceivably do what Montegriffo and Feetham have never done – lead the GSD to a general election victory.

Another unavoidable name who also has links to the AACR is Marlene Hassan Nahon. Looking back at the last 12 months she has had as a member of the house, one feels as if she has been at the centre of discussion throughout. From the outset, she entered Parliament with very strong polling figures, standing at a close second behind the GSD leader Daniel Feetham. It is highly unusual for a newcomer to Parliament to poll so highly, especially when she was not the official deputy leader of the party. Her inventive policy proposals have been refreshing, such as pledging for free school meals, along with her modern 21^st century views on same-sex marriage. She has been often quoted as a ‘breath of fresh air’, but her air has been tinged with a smell of liberation since her resignation from the GSD. Though there has been no obvious change in her political beliefs as an Independent, there is certainly a change in manner. Hassan Nahon is expressing her views with more conviction and her output has been more noticeable and regular.

In many ways, the non-lawyer, Jewish woman and mother of four is herself indicative of a desirable alternative to the stagnant political environment. People are becoming increasingly critical of the personalised, male-dominated atmosphere in Parliament, and her current success and potential future success may bring in a development of a more representative legislature. Her current status as an Independent MP clearly leaves her in a predicament if an election were to be called tomorrow, but like Bossino and Figueras, she would be a welcome name on the ballot paper for any third party seeking to establish credibility for governance (and there distance from the frontline is a sure disadvantage to the GSD).

Fortunately for the Social Democrats, it is not all doom and gloom. While they may have dropped a mammoth fifteen and a half percentage points at last year’s election, the new members of the GSD frontbench (Clinton, Hammond, Llamas and Phillips) have shown glimpses of potential. Clinton has especially impressed with his approach to Parliament. His ‘bill bombardment’ strategy can only be an annoyance to the Government and, truth be told, there is little else you can do as an Opposition in Gibraltar when the Government has a virtually guaranteed majority on every vote.

While Montegriffo would provide a welcome spice to the debate, both in terms of atmosphere and content, it would be foolish to think too much of his recent remarks. Until there are more concrete indications, opposition actors in Gibraltar’s public discourse must look to talented individuals who are lacking a political home, who can otherwise grow into formidable players.

Mark is currently studying philosophy and politics at the University of Manchester.

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