UKIP welcomes all visitors to this site from Gibraltar, and pledges the support of all UKIP members to the aim of freeing the UK including Gibraltar from the tyranny of the EU

My visit to Gibraltar coincided with their National Day, which commemorates their big-issue referendum in the 1960s, confirming their determination to remain British. This issue is the "big one" in Gibraltar, and the Gibraltarians hold very strong views on this as I was to discover, or rather to have confirmed to me in unequivocal terms!

My first appointment was on the platform at the main rally of the day, held in the main square, and which was attended by 10,000 people - all dressed in their national colours of red and white, and all enjoying themselves in good humour, well behaved, and with an electric atmosphere. I felt completely at home and comfortable, and the people were without exception, friendly and passionately interested in politics. Their placards made it quite clear what they think of the EU:

"Say NO to shared sovereignty" "Bin Brussels"

The main speaker was the Prime Minister, Peter Caruana, QC, who recalled the disgraceful attempts by Jack Straw and the New Labour government to negotiate with Spain on the issue of shared sovereignty for Gibraltar. The UK Government was told in the strongest possible terms that this sharing would not be acceptable to the people of Gibraltar, and when the Government attempted to brush this aside - as they are now doing to us and the EU Constitution - the Gibraltarians held their own referendum whereby more than 90% of the turnout, which itself was in excess of 90%, confirmed their intention of remaining British, once again!

Talking to the people, it is obvious how their patriotism shines through, and I wish that more of that were visible back home. They are a perceptive people and not easily fooled by conniving politicians with secret agendas, who try to by-pass the ballot box, whilst assuring the voters that they are acting in the voters best interests - sounds familiar to my ears!

Naturally, we agreed that this view and their position is closely aligned with that of the UK Independence Party, and indeed when I met Joe Bassano, Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party - very old-Labour, not this new-fangled New Labour - he was very taken with our name and what it stands for.

Like UKIP, the Gibraltarians are very much in favour of a referendum on the proposed EU Constitution, as they see it as another re-run of their own constitutional position almost 40 years ago, and they will be supporting our call at every turn. Now they know that they will have a vote in the Southwest region in the Euro Election next June, they are more than ever determined to resist the abuse , by the political elite, of the birthright granted us and them, by virtue of being British - and proud of it!