Joe Bossano
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Joseph John Bossano, known as Joe Bossano, is a Gibraltarian politician, and leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He was Chief Minister from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. Since that time he has been Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly.
Bossano was a trade unionist who started his political career with the Integration with Britain Party, for which he was elected a member of the House of Assembly in 1972. He left the IWBP in 1975 to form the Gibraltar Democratic Movement, which later became the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party.
His hardline stance against sovereignty deals with Spain (his party's slogan was "Give Spain No Hope") caused considerable friction with governments in London and Madrid, although as Chief Minister he maintained good relations with Spanish politicians at municipal level. During his time in office, Bossano also oversaw economic change, resulting in a move away from traditional sources of employment, such as the Ministry of Defence, to offshore finance and tourism.
| Preceded by: Adolfo Canepa | Chief Minister of Gibraltar 1988–1996 | Succeeded by: Peter Caruana |