Maurice Xiberras GMH (14 November 1936 – 19 March 2017) was a Gibraltarian teacher, trade unionist and politician. He was regarded as being a strong defender of British sovereignty, who believed there was no future for Gibraltar without the continuing close relationship with the United Kingdom. Education and teaching career Xiberras began his professional career as a teacher. He obtained his Teaching certificate from the University of Bristol, where he later became Assistant Lecturer at its Department of Hispanic Studies from 1961 to 1963. In 1964, prior to becoming a politician, he became one of the top Gibraltarian teachers assisting the Christian Brothers as teacher and Head of Department at the Gibraltar Grammar School. He maintained this position until 1979. The change would mean great sacrifice for him, however, he was encouraged to make the move by UK MPs who reportedly told him that "although he had a great future as a teacher this must be given up for the greater good of Gibraltar!" He returned to teaching after retiring from politics in 1979. From 1980, he taught history, Spanish, politics and Latin, coached football and cricket and was Senior Counsellor at Hampton School in London, famed for splitting his Latin classes into 'Pansies' and 'Daffodils' for vocabulary tests. He retired from teaching in 2002. Xiberras also holds a first class Master of Arts with Honours from the University of Edinburgh. In 1995 he also obtained a Diploma in psychotherapy from the British Association of Analytical Body Psychotherapy (BAABP) in London. Political career An integrationist from the outset – he was involved in the drafting of the Pro Integration Movement's manifesto in 1967 – Xiberras sat alongside Major Robert Peliza as a member of the Integration with Britain Party (IWBP). As a member of its team at the Constitutional Conference chaired by Lord Shepherd in 1968 that drafted the 1969 Gibraltar Constitution. He entered the House of Assembly after the 1969 elections, becoming the Minister for Labour, Social Security, and Housing under the IWBP Government and by 1970 he was the de facto Deputy Chief Minister, deputising for Major Peliza as Chief Minister in his absence. In the 1972 elections he retained his seat, but upon the victory of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights (AACR), he moved to the Opposition seats along with his six IWBP colleagues. Almost immediately, in October 1972, he succeeded Major Peliza as