By Mary Afxentiou
After six months in office, Cypriot MP Bambos Charalambous talks to Parikiaki about his experience as a backbencher, his concerns about Brexit and the Cyprus problem.
In an exclusive interview, he expressed the belief that Theresa May “will keep it together until Brexit”, but he believes she will not complete her term in office.
Mr Charalambous, you’ve completed six months in Parliament. What are your first impressions as an MP?
It is an amazing experience; I have become an MP at a very interesting time in British politics. There have been a lot of challenges, for me personally as well as for the party and the Parliament. As an MP, I still don’t have a constituency office, but I am getting one soon, hopefully in Green Lanes. I am also dealing with the many enquiries that come my way, including issues regarding Brexit. I am finding my feet, learning the procedures in Westminster, learning how to speak in debates, getting used to voting, writing speeches, meeting the public and attending many community events. Even though it’s not completely different from what I was doing before, the workload is much more. At the same time however, it is very rewarding.
What are the challenges Enfield Southgate is facing?
Enfield Southgate has a lot of different characteristics. The things that are important in my constituency might be less important somewhere else. People have contacted me about issues like transport and travel, as the people of Southgate commute a lot. It is a problem when things go wrong on the trains. Education is also very important; we’ve got many schools in Southgate concerned about school funding. Also the health service is crucial. What I can say, is that I will continue to serve the people of Enfield Southgate and the community to the best of my abilities.
You have already brought up the Cyprus problem in Parliament. What was the reaction of your colleagues and what will you do in the future about this issue?
I pretty much see myself as an ambassador of Cyprus; people who don’t know much about Cyprus have contacted me to explain the situation
to them. Just by being here, I make sure that other MPs are fully aware about Cyprus. I have tabled an early day motion about the missing persons in Cyprus that has been signed by a number of MPs from different parties. I have also addressed the Prime Minister and I hope that after the presidential elections we’ll have a debate about Cyprus in Westminster. I will seek to do all these things in due course and I will carry on representing the island. I also want more discussions and debates in Parliament about Cyprus, not just about the Cyprus problem but also about the economy and education. I want to get people thinking about other aspects of Cyprus like its second generation entrepreneurs and things that are strategically long-term and about thefuture. I want to invite speakers in to address these issues.
Would the Parliament support a Cyprus without guarantees?
I think they would support a longterm solution for Cyprus. So if they could be convinced that guarantors was an anachronistic term and there was some other way to make sure Cyprus has security long-term, then they would accept it. Because let’s face it; guarantors is indeed an anachronistic tactic from colonial times. I always like to say hope for the best but plan for the worst. So you need to think what would happen if troops withdraw and there was another invasion, who would you call to come and help? I think it could be the European Union, the UN. I think guarantors is not where we should be at the moment.
What do you hope will be the result of the Presidential elections in Cyprus?
The Labour Party has a longstanding relation with AKEL. I met Stavros Malas on three occasions and I am very impressed by him as a candidate. I am sure he will do very well.
I hope whoever is elected as president, we have somebody who is committed in a long-term solution in Cyprus and who will make sure the economy is thriving. I will work with whoever is elected for the best and more prosperous future for Cyprus.
What difference do you think you can make as a backbencher?
I think as a backbencher MP, you can make a big difference. You are freer than if you are in the Government or
in the Shadow Cabinet. I have the freedom to speak out about things; I am not restricted. Also as a backbencher you can change things. I had a debate about autism on 13 September 2017. It was about how long it takes from referring somebody to them being diagnosed with autism. The government didn’t keep data of how long it was taking. Over 30 MPs attended the debate and we got the Government to commit to keep data on this, starting from April 2018. This is a big concession, therefore, a backbencher can influence policy-makers and change certain attitudes just by raising a question.
What is your biggest passion in politics?
Obviously being a lawyer, I am interested in justice issues, legal aid and human rights issues. I am also very passionate about education; I am still a school governor of two schools.
Last month, Theresa May faced a big defeat from her own Party regarding the final Brexit deal. What does that mean?
This was indeed a big defeat for the Government. It is about whether the Parliament should have a say on the final deal. With the help of some ‘rebel’ conservative MPs, we voted to make sure that the Parliament has a meaningful say before the final deal is reached. This was not in favour of the government’s side but it shows that we can get our way. We had 11 Conservative MPs voting along with Labour and other opposition parties.
What is your opinion on Brexit?
I am very concerned about whether Brexit will be a terrible thing, as we don’t realise what the impact will be on the UK. We have asked the Government for the impact assessment and they said that there aren’t any, even though I have a letter that all MPs received from David Davis that says that there will several impact assessments covering 88% of the areas of trade, from legal services to environmental issues. However, when we demanded the Government give us the assessments, they said that they didn’t exist. This is the level of debate we are getting from the ministers that are supposed to be debating Brexit. I am really worried that we have got people who are not up to the job.
What will happen if the final bill is put in front of the government and is outvoted?
There are two things here. Firstly, this vote means that we have to have a debate and a vote before the final bill is done. Secondly, if we are not happy with the negotiations, we can instruct the government to go back and negotiate again. This is why I believe they should not have a fixed day of the 29 March 2019; negotiations can take many more years. There is no way they will be able to get everything ready on time. I think they should move the date and take as much time as they need to reach a solution. They need to ask the other 27 members for an extension.
Are you saying that Brexit might not go ahead?
It depends what day of the week you get me! Possibly; I think once the realisation of the magnitude of the problems that we will have dawns on people, then they might decide that it’s not worth it. It has already cost 40 billion and we will have to negotiate with so many different areas and it just seems a monumental waste of time. However, we need to remember that 52% of the country voted Brexit, so the Government has to respect this. But it has to be a Brexit that works for the UK. If that Brexit means to still have access to the single market, still have rights for EU nationals in the UK and the UK nationals in the EU countries, then these are the sort of things that are fundamental to the negotiations.
How would you say Labour is doing so far?
We are doing very well. Jeremy Corbyn has shown that he is a very good leader and the MPs are united. We do feel that we are ready to take them on and we are a government in waiting. It is a great time to be put in front bench. So, I think the mood is very upbeat and very positive and we are optimistic that when this government fails, we will form the new government.
Do you see new elections coming up before 2022?
Personally, I don’t. I think, however, that the Conservatives will change their leader between now and the next three-four years. I think they are in a downwards spiral. In my opinion, Theresa May will keep it together until after Brexit but I imagine they will then choose another Prime Minister.
