Lynne Featherstone

Managed to get to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Cyprus chaired by Peter Droussiotis – my former colleague (albeit Labour) on Haringey Council. MPs turned up to say their few words to the assembled audience – and it is great to have the opportunity to show those who care so passionately about Cyprus and its prospects for prosperity and re-unification that as an MP with lots of Greek and Turkish Cypriots that it matters.

What I tried to put across in my few words is the frustration when the motions which are part of the democratic process (lobbying your MP, raising matters in the House, writing to Ministers, attending events etc) don’t seem to lead anywhere. For me the question then is what is it that I can do to find the right angle, the right moment to make change and progress more likely?

It is the frustration I often feel about foreign affairs – about situations like the Middle East or Cyprus or Afghanistan – where the democratic process is all we have – but it sometimes just doesn’t seem to have the traction to make those with the power to effect change.