Joseph Garcia (Gibraltarian politician)

The Hon. Joseph John Garcia MP (born 1967) is a Gibraltarian historian and politician, and the current leader of the Gibraltar Liberal Party (GLP) and Deputy Chief Minister of the Government of Gibraltar. The GLP controls three of the 17 seats in the Gibraltar Parliament after the 2011 general election and is in government with its political allies, the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP).

Garcia graduated from the University of Hull with a First Class Honours degree in history and obtained a doctorate on "The Political and Constitutional Development of Gibraltar".

Garcia has been leader of the GLP since 1992 and was first elected to the then Gibraltar House of Assembly on a by-election. He served as Shadow Minister for Tourism and Commercial Affairs from 1999 to 2000. He was re-elected at the 2000 election and served as Shadow Minister for Trade, Industry, Tourism and Financial Services until 2003. In 2011 Garcia was appointed Vice President of Liberal International. Garcia's party then formed a coalition to contest the 2003 election with the GSLP, which won five seats, re-electing Garcia to serve as Shadow Minister for Trade, Industry, Tourism and Heritage until 2007 when he was again re-elected at the 2007 election serving in the same Shadow Ministry.

After 12 years in opposition, Garcia was elected into Government following the election of 8 December 2011. The newly elected GSLP Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, appointed Garcia Deputy Chief Minister with responsibility for planning and lands, political, democratic and civic reform, and civil aviation.

During the general election campaign in 1996 Garcia ripped up the GSLP manifesto during a leaders debate programme on GBC. His party now forms the Government with the GSLP.

Garcia supports Panorama which is a daily newspaper in Gibraltar. His father Joe has been an editor of the paper.