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Meeting of the Integration With Britain Party — recognise anyone you know?
happened to speak fluent Spanish. At the same time his brother asked her friend, who was also training at the Digby Stuart College, to dance. Incredibly shortly afterwards the two brothers married the girls: in Roger’s case in 1969. During his three years of study Roger returned to Gibraltar at regular intervals and, after the award of his diploma, returned in 1968 — a crucial year for Gibraltar’s politics. The PIM had become the IWBP and its committee decided to find a prominent public figure who would command votes from the centre and the right of the political spectrum. The key players were Jose Tosso, his son Michael, Henry Busto, Alfie Guerrero, Maurice Xiberras, Julio Gonzalez, Joe Caruana, Isaac Abecasis, Conchita Anes, Angela Smith, John Cardona, Luis Wood and John Culatto. Walker says Bossano was aware of the advantages of having a respected and known member of the community as leader of the IWBP and the offer to Major Bob Peliza to lead the IWBP was made with his full approval and blessing. The Constitutional Conference was followed the next year by the introduction of the New Constitution. The same year the IWBP in alliance with the Isola group won the General Election and Major Peliza became Chief Minister. Joe Bossano had been away from the Rock during much of this time and had not stood for election. During this time Pepin Delgado and Roger compiled a newsletter Progress IWBP. Joe, upon his return to Gibraltar, began to build a political power base by working with the TGWU as well as being the Secretary of the IWBP. While in the UK Mary, Roger’s wife, wrote to Gibraltar’s Department of Education and was assured of a teaching position by the Director. She wished to join as a local employee and not as
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2009
a teacher from England on the higher rate of pay. When she went to the department she was told there was no job. Roger naturally was incensed and, with Mary, stormed down to the office. Fate intervened again because as he walked in, Peter Isola, the then deputy Chief Minister, walked out. Roger had never met Peter but he stopped the Minister, told him about the broken promise and insisted he read the written offer from the director. Peter asked if Mary was qualified and upon being told her qualifications said he would investigate. The upshot was that Mary was swiftly offered a teaching job at St. Mary’s Infant School. The couple were living with his parents. They applied for a government flat to be told, as Roger was not a registered Gibraltarian the family only registered 18 points, which meant no flat would be forthcoming in the immediate future. At the same time Roger and Pepin Delgado, already involved with the IWBP, founded the Young Integration With Britain Party and became deeply involved with the Young Christian Workers and indirectly with Father Bernard Linares
When Major Peliza called the 1972 election, pressure was applied to persuade Walker to stand for election as an IWBP candidate
and the Transport and General Workers Union. The YCW had become involved in politics. When Major Peliza called the 1972 election, pressure was applied to persuade Walker to stand for election as an IWBP candidate with the backing of the YCW and the TGWU. It was tempting but he had to consider the future of his family. As a civil servant it would have meant losing his job and staying with his parents as there was no hope of a government flat. There would be no salary other than his wife’s, except the modest stipend of £20 a month paid to an elected representative. So with considerable sadness they decided to leave for a new life in the UK. On boarding the SS Oriana they were seen off by his family and Joe Bossano and his family, who had become a close friend over the years. Fate intervened for the third time. Roger had written to various local authorities seeking a job as an environmental health officer and stressing he needed access to a mortgage or a council house. An interview with the Barnet Council environmental health department resulted in an offer of a job with a higher salary than expected and a mortgage offer. He mentioned his wife was a qualified infants teacher and the head teacher of the local primary school was called and confirmed a teacher was needed to start on Monday, the first day of term. The head teacher drove to the school to interview Mary, she was offered the job and started the following Monday ahead of her husband who had to wait until the first day of the next month. Their first child, Nicholas, was born in 1974 and after obtaining a science degree at Sussex University and a subsequent PhD is now a lecturer and researcher at Bristol University. Second child, Annabelle, was born in 1978, educated in London,
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