Daniel Feetham

The Hon.
Daniel Feetham
MP

Daniel Feetham, Leader of the Opposition
HM Opposition
Assumed office
2013
Preceded by Peter Caruana
Minister for Justice
In office
2007–2011
Personal details
Born (1967-05-26) 26 May 1967
Gibraltar

The Hon. Daniel Anthony Feetham MP (born 26 May 1967) is a Gibraltarian politician, lawyer and Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD).

Political career

Mr Feetham was one of the founders of the Gibraltar Labour Party in 2001. The party had no seats in Parliament and contested the 2003 General Election, where Mr. Feetham obtained the largest number of votes for a leader of a third party since 1984 and his party the largest share of the vote by a third party since 1988 but no seats.[1] The Gibraltar Labour Party has since merged with the Gibraltar Social Democrats.[2]

He obtained a History degree from the University of Reading and a Law degree from the University of Manchester before returning to Gibraltar to practise law. He is a partner of Hassans, the leading Gibraltar law firm. He was a member of the Gibraltar delegation that negotiated a new Constitution with the UK from 2004 to 2006 and co-ordinated the yes vote campaign in the referendum on the new Constitution in 2006.[3] The new Constitution was adopted in Gibraltar in 2007.

He was elected to parliament as a GSD member in the 2007 elections and served as Gibraltar's first Minister of Justice for 4 years.[3] In the 2011 general election the GSD was defeated by a very narrow margin but Mr Feetham was elected to Parliament. He is currently Leader of the Opposition. His politics are social democratic but over the years he has developed close links with the U.K. Conservative Party which he has supported at European elections because he says it has best defended the interests of Gibraltar. He has been very critical of the current Government for what he says has been overspending and increases in public debt. He has also advocated dialogue with Spain without negotiations on sovereignty and has been very critical of the Spanish Foreign Minister, Señor García-Margallo. Post the BREXIT referendum Mr Feetham has said he would work with the Government on the challenges facing Gibraltar. [4][5]

On 2 November 2010, Daniel Feetham was stabbed in the back while out walking in Library Street with his children.[6] Police arrested the attacker while the Minister underwent emergency surgery in St. Bernard's Hospital. His attacker was on bail at the time on charges of attempted murder of a doctor at St Bernard's Hospital and stabbed Mr Feetham because he had been declined legal aid to instruct an English QC to represent him rather than having local representation. The knife attack cut his spleen in half which had to be removed. Despite the serious nature of the attack Mr Feetham survived. The attacker is serving a life sentence. [7]

Elections

In 2003, he contested the General Election as leader of the Gibraltar Labour Party, who won 8.3% of the popular vote and no seats.

In 2007, he contested the General Election as a candidate for the Gibraltar Social Democrats. He was elected as an MP and as Minister for Justice.

In 2013, he contested the leadership of the GSD after Peter Caruana stood down. He beat his opponent Damon Bossino and was elected GSD Leader and subsequently as Leader of the Opposition.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gibraltar: GSD Win Election with 51% majority.". MercoPress. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Brian Reyes (5 August 2005). "Feetham joins ruling Social Democrat Party". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Daniel Feetham". The Legal 500. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  4. ↑ David Eade (6 February 2013). "A decision the GSD executive may yet live to regret". Panorama. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  5. ↑ E. Reyes (16 February 2013). "Daniel Feetham toma posesión como nuevo líder de la oposición" (in Spanish). europasur.es. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  6. ↑ Justice Minister Wounded in Vicious Knife Attack, Gibraltar Chronicle, 3 November 2010.
  7. ↑ "Feetham attacker admits attempted murder". Gibraltar Chronicle. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2013.

External links

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