Governor Sir James Dutton Resigns as Governor of Gibraltar - due to lack of action from the FCO and the UK Government!
As Defenders of Gibraltar we have been stating since the formation of the group - UK Government and the FCO just do not care about Defending the people of Gibraltar!
We all thought that SIr James Dutton would in fact make a big difference - how wrong we were! We saw almost immediately that he was yet again a puppet on a string and those strings were pulled by the FCO personnel: The FCO do not and have never cared about Gibraltar and its people!
In his resignation speech, Sir James said the job was “more representational and ceremonial than I had expected”.
Sir James’s 37-year-career with the Royal Marines saw him become deputy commander of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2008, before leaving the service in 2010 to join the engineering conglomerate Bechtel as principle vice president.
Responsible for overseeing a complete overhauling of Gabon’s infrastructure, he had settled his family in the West African nation before “getting the call” to become Governor of Gibraltar.
“Sir James is one of those rare chaps who managed to follow a highly successful military career with an equally successful civilian one,” said a friend. “He gave it all up – and it was a lot to give up - for Gibraltar, because he was led to believe that he could make a difference. He assumed his military career was the reason he was wanted. Instead what he got was pomp but no real power”.
We have made it clear on numerous occasions that the lack of action from UK and the FCO is due to them not wanting to spoil their own relationship with Spain. We all know that currently in Spain there are over 808,000 (104,000 are pensioners) as stated in 2012 Guardian Newspaper. So why defend Gibraltar? For 30,000 British Citizens? The only reason they keep a presence on the Rock of Gibraltar is merely due to Gibraltar being the only gateway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic. Gibraltar is useful as a military forwarding base and a nuclear submarine base. In UK no port wants these nuclear submarines!
Below is a great write up from the Panorama Newspaper from 2011 - http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=7054
| Gibraltar remains important in any military scenario |
| Secret papers by JOE GARCIA The West has always dreaded the spectre of unrest in what are described as potential trouble-spots along the North African littoral washed by the Mediterranean. Tunisia, Egypt now, and the prospect of contagion tomorrow? "The Mediterranean is critically important; for the member nations of the southern region of NATO it provides common access and vital lines of communication for supplies and reinforcements," says a document marked 'Secret UK eyes' and headed The Strategic Importance of Gibraltar to the UK and NATO. The document adds: "For over 150 miles on either side of the western entrance to the Mediterranean the freedom of movement of shipping is severely constrained by the coastline. Thus, control of the western end of the Mediterranean, the ability to seal off events in that area from the Atlantic, and surveillance of a critical part of one of the world's strategic routes, rests with whoever commands the Strait. Dominating the Strait lies Gibraltar." That says it all. The importance of Gibraltar to western defence, world peace, stands out like a beacon. In times of tension and in times of war, all seaborne reinforcements and supplies for the southern region must come through this strategic Strait. When this secret report was written by the Chiefs of Defence, the Soviet threat loomed high - and so did the importance of Gibraltar. Western thinking was that the Soviets might endeavour to control or deny the use of the Strait to NATO. In those days of cold war, the extension of Soviet power and influence throughout the Mediterranean was of constant concern, their aim was considered to be to try and undermine the influence of the USA in the area and achieve the fragmentation of the Western Alliance, said the document. The document took a 5-year view into the 1980s. In those days, the MOD in Gibraltar had 3,400 locally employed civilians of whom 900 were Moroccans, compared with the ever-reducing UK presence, affecting both civilian and military personnel. In those days, the frontier with Spain was closed. Particularly while this remained so, said the document,the attitude of Morocco is relevant.Morocco provides a large proportion of the labour force and was an important source of supply of food etc. The maintenance of this support remains one of the main British and NATO priorities concerning their relations with Morocco, said the military document. Certainly, Morocco "has always considered it unacceptable for Spain to control both sides of the Strait," an aim of policy which has a clear bearing on Ceuta, Melilla and other rocks on the North African shoreline. The military studied wider considerations deeper into the Mediterranean: "While an unfriendly nation on the southern littoral of the Mediterranean could increase the threat to Gibraltar it would not affect Gibraltar's strategic importance and indeed could enhance it." The principal alternatives on the north shore of the Strait to Gibraltar for controlling the Strait are Cadiz and Cartagena, said the document. Both have large naval facilities and nearby airfields, and while suitable bases for operations, neither has the commanding position, combined with the necessary facilities, which enables Gibraltar to exercise domination over the Strait. NATO has long urged Britain to increase Gibraltar's role, but there has been a reluctance to invest more on military hardware. Looking ahead, it was said that the geographical position of Gibraltar provided 'an excellent base for the employment of technologically advanced weapons and equipment such as remotely controlled minefields, active and passive surveillance equipment, operating above and below the surface, together with their associated weapon systems.' The secret document concluded: "The Gibraltar strait is of considerable strategic importance and it is in NATO's interest to retain Gibraltar in Alliance hands." Clearly, there has been a shift in military planning since the cold war, but the Rock continues to be an important pivot in any other military scenario more attuned to today's world and more specific to actual or potential crisis areas in the Mediterranean. The most recent strategic defence and security review last year reaffirmed the importance of the permanent joint operating base in Gibraltar. 11-02-11 |
This weekend we saw a very strange thing indeed - The Express newspaper wrote an article and then removed it and then begun to deny the publication of it - until the people of Gibraltar showed proof of what they had posted and demanded a reason for the removal!
The article is now back on the website for all to read although!
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/581101/Governor-Gibraltar-quits-row-Spain-Britain
'Sold a duff' Governor of Gibraltar quits after UK fails to stand up to Spain aggression
THE GOVERNOR of Gibraltar has quit his post over tensions with the Foreign Office about the way Britain was dealing with Spanish aggression against the Rock, the Sunday Express has learned.
PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, May 31,
2015 | UPDATED: 18:21, Sun, May 31, 2015
His tenure has seen the ramping up of Spanish aggression against Gibraltar, with illegal border controls causing havoc on the tiny territory, and an increase in illegal maritime incursions – as many as 245 over a two-month in 2014.
Last night sources close to the Sir James who, as a Royal Marine, became second in command of Nato forces in Afghanistan, said he felt he had been “sold a duff” after increasing friction with the Foreign Office made it clear the role would just be ceremonial.
The Sunday Express has learned that, while he had been unhappy with his position for some time, it was only after the Conservative Party’s election victory earlier this month, and the decision to keep Europe Minister David Lidington in post, that he took the decision to finally leave.
In his resignation speech, Sir James said the job was “more representational and ceremonial than I had expected”. His shock announcement left the Foreign Office scrabbling to find a suitable replacement before September, when he will take his leave.
However one close source said last night: “When he was invited to become Governor, he assumed it was because of his military career. He was very much of a mind that the Royal Navy’s presence should be increased in Gibraltar, and that Gibraltar’s reaction to Spanish incursions should be more robust.
“In the event, he was met with increasing frustration by the way the Foreign Office dealt with the Spanish question.”
Other sources suggested that he faced mounting friction with Alison MacMillan, formerly Gibraltar’s deputy Governor who now heads the Foreign office’s Gibraltar desk.
Sir James’s 37-year-career with the Royal Marines saw him become deputy commander of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2008, before leaving the service in 2010 to join the engineering conglomerate Bechtel as principle vice president.
Responsible for overseeing a complete overhauling of Gabon’s infrastructure, he had settled his family in the West African nation before “getting the call” to become Governor of Gibraltar.
“Jim is one of those rare chaps who managed to follow a highly successful military career with an equally successful civilian one,” said a friend.
“He gave it all up – and it was a lot to give up - for Gibraltar, because he was led to believe that he could make a difference. He assumed his military career was the reason he was wanted. Instead what he got was pomp but no real power”.
A close source
He is not the only Gibraltar Governor to have expressed concerns
over FCO policy.Last week Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, Sir James’s predecessor, described the job as “trying to walk a tightrope between shark infested waters on one side and a minefield on the other.”
Addressing the prestigious Friends of Gibraltar group in London, he said the role in Gibraltar was special because the Governor is also given special responsibility for external affairs, defence and internal security.
“The Governor is not as some would like to think the FCO’s agent in Gibraltar,” he said.
“He is, as the Queen’s representative, constitutionally the senior officer of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar, with a role clearly defined by the constitution.
So I was quite clear that I represented Her Majesty, not Her Majesty’s Government, ’ he said.
He said the Governor’s role also meant influencing “the formulation of UK policy by representing the interests of Gibraltar to the UK.”
He added:“Developing policy in a London office 1,000 miles away from Gibraltar needs a constant dose of reality and independent judgment from the coal face.
“In spite of modern methods of communication that 1,000 mile gap can sometimes seem very wide."
In January Andrew Rosindell MP, former chair of the British overseers territories all-Parliamentary group, said Gibraltar was being sacrificed as a “pawn” by a Government intent on appeasing Spain to secure its EU reform agenda.
Last night, Mr. Rosindell added: "I am deeply disturbed at what increasingly looks like a policy by the FCO of appeasement to Spain - they talk tough in public, but when it comes to it actions are weak. The decision to keep David Lidington in place as Europe Minister seems to suggest this will continue."
I am not the only MP who feels Gibraltar is being sacrificed over the Government desire for EU reform. But appeasing Spain has only added fuel to Spain's fire. What's needed is for the door to be shut firmly in Spain's face.
"It is essential that the next Governor is also a military man, and not someone from the Foreign office. At least military Governors try to stand up to the FCO.
"This seemed unlikely last night, however, as the Foreign Office published a job vacancy for Sir James’ replacement.
In a change from the past, the advert placed the desire for a senior civil servant above that of a former senior military officer, and highlighted the need to “devote considerable time to the ceremonial, representational and social aspects of the role.”
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It looks like UK government and FCO do not believe in democracy and freedom when trying to hide truths from the people of Gibraltar. Are we having people silenced in UK or the FCO offices? Why so much secrecy? We have seen many Governors come and go! But this is the first time we have a Governor resign!
It seems to me that Sir James Dutton has not wanted to continue as the PUPPET for FCO or UK Government! For this this gentleman deserves our UTMOST respect and honour! He has shown to have more integrity than many before him!
We the people of Gibraltar have a right as British Citizens to have the UK Government and the FCO defend us! It is not acceptable that we have daily Spanish Guardia Civil (Spanish Paramilitary) incursions in our British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!
Will it take a death before UK Government or the FCO act to protect us? Will it need an invasion by the Spanish Army to Gibraltar before they take security seriously?
We the people of Gibraltar are NOT 3rd class citizens! We are British Citizens and we have a VOICE and a RIGHT to be Safe and Secure in our land, at sea and in the air!
So now, although we know the truth, it leaves us wondering what do UK Government and the FCO really think about us? - they know of the dangers at Sea and Land but yet continue to do nothing?
The FCO and the UK Government will be held accountable for any deaths due to their continued negligence in safe guarding us as a people and a Country in our own right!
Now what we need is our Government to take this up seriously with UK Government and the FCO! We do not want any more FCO puppets and Alison MacMillan, formerly Gibraltar’s deputy Governor who now heads the Foreign office’s Gibraltar desk.needs to now wake up!
We the people of Gibraltar will no longer be played like idiots and if there was friction with Sir James Dutton for wanting to stand up for us - you have no idea what friction is! Governors come and go but we the people of Gibraltar will stay and not be silenced!
Alison MacMillan we will not put up with this continued denial of our RIGHTS to be protected!
AMS
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