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Not Another Press Release!

Gibraltar Government
Not Another Press Release!
Latest episode

7 episodes

  • Not Another Press Release!

    From the Rock to the World, and Back

    01/06/2026 | 1h 15 mins.
    Dr Paul Bosio grew up sharing a one-bedroom flat in Humphreys with six brothers and a closed frontier. He wouldn't change a thing about it.
    Now he's the Director General at the GHA. In this episode, Anton traces the long road that got him here: Sea Scouts and street football in Gibraltar, medical school in Dublin, decades of clinical and leadership roles across the UK and Abu Dhabi, and eventually the decision to come back home.
    They get into what it actually means to be a "local" who's been away for 41 years, why Paul eventually stopped seeing patients, the uncomfortable ethical trade-offs that come with running a health service on a budget, and what he's genuinely fired up about: mental health, elderly care reform, and training Gibraltar's own doctors and nurses, so the system can stand on its own feet.
  • Not Another Press Release!

    From Stage to Service: A Journey Towards Inclusion

    15/05/2026 | 1h 26 mins.
    An episode about representation and the journey to a more inclusive and fair society.
    In Part 1, Minister Christian Santos talks about his journey from performance, media and showbiz into politics, and what it means to be a different kind of politician, shaped by community, dreams ofrepresentation and the people who do not always see themselves reflected in public life.

    In Part 2, we meet Jenny and the Supported Needs and Disability Office team, whose work goes far beyond ramps and access points. They talk about the quiet, human work of building bridges, raising awareness and making sure people with supported needs have a visible place in public life.

    Two conversations, one thread: inclusion is not just something government talks about. It is something people work on, every day.
  • Not Another Press Release!

    The Structures Within, The Structures Without

    17/04/2026 | 1h 27 mins.
    This episode brings together Terence Lopez and Carl Viagas, two people who have spent decades in public service and who have each helped shape Gibraltar in different ways.
     
    Carl has spent his career thinking about the physical shape of Gibraltar: its buildings, heritage, and public spaces, and how we present ourselves to the world. Terence has worked at the operational end, the airport, the frontier, security, and the systems that have to function every single day, no matter what is happening around them.
     
    Together, they talk about infrastructure, yes, but also about service, leadership, and what it means to quietly get on with the job.
  • Not Another Press Release!

    Gibraltar's Future, Gibraltar's Youth

    17/03/2026 | 1h 2 mins.
    In Episode 4, we bring together two conversations about the people and decisions that will shape Gibraltar's future: one grounded in constitutional law, the other in community.
    Part 1 is a conversation with Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia on the UK-EU Treaty on Gibraltar. As one of the people most closely involved in both the formal negotiations and the years of no-deal contingency planning that ran in parallel, he offers a frank account of what was at stake, how the final text differs significantly from where negotiations began, and why the mitigations and protections built into the treaty matter as much as its headline terms.
    He addresses the political risks directly, including the possibility of a hostile future Spanish administration, and explains why the treaty's architecture as an agreement between the UK and the EU provides a layer of protection that extends beyond Gibraltar's own leverage. The conversation also covers the implementation timeline, the legislative framework being prepared ahead of the April deadline, and the three parallel workstreams underway: physical infrastructure at the border, primary legislation, and administrative change across government.
    The episode also touches on the longer constitutional picture: what this treaty means for Gibraltar's relationship with the UK, the case for modernising the constitution, and the ongoing pursuit of decolonisation through the UN list of non-self-governing territories.
    Part 2 brings in Rebecca Figueras and Abdul Afrah from Gibraltar's Youth Service for a candid conversation about what it means to work with young people today. From the service's recent rebrand and its expanded reach, now covering ages seven to thirty, to the realities of youth work in a small, tightly connected community, they reflect on how needs have shifted over two decades: the rise of wellbeing and mental health conversations, the retreat from street culture, the pressures of social media, and what it means to grow up navigating AI and information overload.
    The discussion covers how the service operates across four clubs, in schools, and through programmes like the Youth Symposium, which bridges young people and civic life, and the Future Pathways careers initiative, which connects students with professionals across industries. The broader message is clear: young people today are navigating more complexity than any previous generation, and what they need most is space, trust, opportunity, and empathy from the community around them.
  • Not Another Press Release!

    Emergency Preparedness, Traffic and Infrastructure

    20/02/2026 | 1h 8 mins.
    In Episode 3, we look at Gibraltar’s preparedness on two levels: immediate emergency response and long-term resilience planning.
    Part 1 is a conversation with Ivor Lopez, Civil Contingencies Co-ordinator, on how government plans for complex and evolving risks, including extreme weather, pandemics, cyber incidents, terrorism and system failures. Ivor explains how multi-agency coordination works in practice, why exercises matter, and what Gibraltar’s size means in real operational terms: strong relationships and rapid mobilisation, but finite resources and a need to call on specialist support when required.

    We also unpack how Gibraltar’s weather alerting system operates, including the distinction between Weather Advisories and Severe Weather Warnings, why thresholds matter, and how the system has evolved to reduce confusion while still warning the public in time. The message is clear: rely on official sources, follow updates as conditions change, and recognise that individual behaviour can either help or worsen a live situation.
    Part 2 brings in Minister John Cortes and Stewart Harrison to connect day-to-day disruption with structural decisions that define resilience: drainage capacity, road networks, traffic management, vehicle policy, and environmental planning. They discuss how severe weather changes travel behaviour, why east-side closures and rockfall risk quickly strain Gibraltar’s limited routes, and how transport responses are adjusted in real time, including bus routing during closures.

    The conversation also covers practical delivery: plans for six new fully electric buses for Upper Town routes, expected from September, work with stakeholders across transport (buses, taxis, car parks, highways, licensing), and steps to tackle issues like car park vandalism through closer coordination with the RGP.

    Finally, we widen the lens to climate change, environmental policy, and the realities of transitioning away from oil-dependent activity, including a frank discussion on bunkering and why global change cannot be solved by unilateral local displacement.
    The episode closes on what may define Gibraltar in the coming years: wastewater treatment, waste management, and the potential implications of the future UK–EU treaty, including environmental safeguards and pressure points for transport and traffic flow.
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About Not Another Press Release!
Not Another Press Release is a new podcast from the HM Government of Gibraltar Press Office, creating space for longer, more honest discussions about how government works and the issues that affect everyday life. No soundbites or choreography. Just context, nuance and direct conversation with the people doing the work. Small filter, big picture.
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