Having recently returned from his visit to Cyprus, Labour Party MP Gareth Thomas speaks to Parikiaki about the current situation on the island, the forthcoming UK elections and the Labour Party’s relation with the Cypriot community in the UK.
Interview by Yiota Dimitriou
You just recently came back from Cyprus, what was the purpose of your visit?
I was there for a number of reasons, the most important being to understand the stage of the negotiations of the island which is something I very much want to encourage and want to see this objective achieved. I also wanted to get a sense of the Cypriot economy which now has its challenges but I believe that things are starting to turn around, and clearly to understand more about the significance of Cyprus and its role and connect with the situation in the region.
You had a meeting with the President of the Cypriot Parliament Mr Omirou and also with the Foreign Minister Mr Kasoulides. What new information did they give you about the current situation in Cyprus?
Both were encouraging about their ambition of a reunited island. I was there at the time the Turkish ship had entered Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and that is clearly unhelpful in the context of the negotiation. So I very much hope that the British Government will call on Turkey to respect Cyprus and its rights under the UN obligations. I haven’t heard the current government say anything on that and I hope that this will happen soon. But I am optimistic after the visit and I believe that Mr Eide who was on the island at the same time is engaging with both sides and is encouraging clearly. Of course there would be some bumpy moments along the journey but I hope we will get through this.
Turkey is illegally trespassing Cyprus’ EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Cyprus is a member of EU. Is the UK government or the Labour party planning to take action regarding this matter which is very significant for the island and also for its safety?
We are calling on the government to urge Turkey to respect the rights of Cyprus under the UN Convention to the EEZ. It’s an issue we will raise in parliament and I hope the UK government takes action on this.
As the Labour Party, are you planning to do something about it?
As the Labour Party you are the first person I’m speaking to about it. I know your newspaper is read by the British government and I hope they will recognize my call through your paper to take action. We made clear that Turkey’s actions are not helpful and that Turkey has got to respect the EEZ. There are also UN Conventions that make that clear so Turkey’s got obligations there. We also want to make sure that we’re encouraging and supporting the negotiators on both sides on the island to try and help build the trust that is necessary when you have negotiations to do a deal.
Mr Cameron secretly visited Cyprus recently without informing the Government of Cyprus and the authorities of the island. This gave the opportunity to many to accuse the UK of behaving as if Cyprus is still its colony. Do you agree with the fact that the Prime Minister chose to go to the island and visit the UK’s bases without informing the authorities and the Government of the island?
There are always discussions between the Cypriot and British governments and I am not party to those. What I can say is that Cyprus is a crucial ally for Britain. When Labour is in government we will very much want to continue that very strong relationship with Cyprus. We have several bases on the island and they are doing a really important job for us at the moment in the context to what is going on in the region. So in that sense it is important that the ministers know what is happening and are be able to talk to our troops. I was delighted to meet the Foreign Minister Kasoulides and to talk to him about Cyprus’ role in the wider region but crucially also about the situation on the island and the hopes of reunification.
But do you agree with the fact that the Mr Cameron visited Cyprus without informing the Cyprus government and the authorities of the island?
The honest truth is I don’t know whether he did or not. They would not tell me as a Labour person. What I would say is we have a close relationship with Cyprus, we want to maintain a close relationship and that is certainly how we would operate if we were in government.
The UK is using its bases in Cyprus as well as the Andreas Papandreou air base to attack the Middle East. Is the UK aware that there is even a slight possibility that this might put the island in danger?
Well I think the whole of the international community, never mind if it’s just Cyprus or Britain faces a huge threat from the activities of ISIS and it is important we confront this threat together. So there is a huge international coalition led by many countries in the Middle East which Cyprus is a part and which Britain is also a part, and it is good that we are working together.
Regarding the war in the Middle East, there was a demonstration last Saturday in London against the war. You were one of the MPs that voted for this war. What made you decide pro war?
Well it is the scale of the barbarity that we’re seeing in Iraq and the threat that that poses to peaceful people living in Iraq at the moment. I believe that if they pose a major threat to the international community then action has to be taken. We are not sending on ground troops, aeroplanes are playing in small role in the effort and I think that’s right.
One of the arguments for this war is that the “UK government has no money for the NHS but has money for this war”. What’s your reply to this?
We certainly want to change the way the government raises its money; we send out proposals for that at our conference because we certainly agree that there needs to be more investment in the NHS. But we have a defence budget and we want to maintain that – and money from that budget is being used to support the effort.
As you very well know, there are more than 200 thousands Cypriots in London. Most of them vote in the elections here in the UK. What is the relationship of the Labour Party and you personally with the Cypriot organizations and Cypriot political parties in London?
Well we talk with most of the Cypriot organizations here in London and also with the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, the Famagusta Association, and also with the Turkish Cypriot Organizations. What I’m struck by is the desire to see the island reunited. People know that there are some difficult issues to be sorted but they want their politicians whether here in London or in Cyprus to be trying to achieve that and that is one of the reasons I went to Cyprus so that when Labour gets elected we can play our full part in helping that aim. And I am sure I’ll continue to meet with those organizations as the talks progress but also in the run up to the elections.
The Conservative Party in the UK proceeds with cuts in social services – is the Labour party ready to fight against these decisions and work against any cuts that will affect the Middle class? If yes, how? And what is your strategy regarding the NHS?
We’ve seen huge cuts in the NHS, we’ve seen Accident & emergency departments being shut down, particularly in London.
People say that the Labour Party has no difference from the Conservative Party regarding this matter.
So we made clear that we will substantially increase investment in the NHS, that we’ll pay for a lots more doctors and nurses to ease the pressure that our hospitals are seeing at the moment. We also want to integrate better the social care and the NHS care. This will help everybody – Cypriots, middle class, upper class, working class.
UK Elections take place on 15 May next year. Mr Thomas, what is your commitment to Cypriots living in London who are contemplating giving you their vote?
As Labour Shadow Minister for Europe what I promise is I will do anything I can do to support the efforts of the negotiators of the two sides in bringing the island back together. I think we have a window of opportunity to get a fair and just agreement for a reunited Cyprus and that’s a huge prize potentially for the people of the island and all those who have a connection to it. And I would want to do everything I can to make that possible. England has long been an ally of Cyprus and will certainly continue to be under the next Labour government.
Gareth Thomas MP Biography
Gareth Thomas was re-elected MP for Harrow West in May 2010 with a majority of 3,143 votes.
A young local teacher and councillor, Gareth Thomas ousted the Tory MP Robert Hughes from his suburban middle-class seat in 1997 by a narrow margin on a massive swing. He was twenty-nine. The previous Tory majority was more than 17,000 and the seat was 196th on Labour’s target list.
In 2001 he increased his majority with another swing of 5.4 per cent, though there was a swing back in 2005.
In 1999 he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Charles Clarke, Minister of State at the Home Office. He stayed with him on his promotion to the Cabinet as Party Chairman in 2001 and as Education Secretary in 2002.
But in 2003 he left Clarke to pursue his own path as a junior Minister, number two at the Department for International Development. There he stayed under Gordon Brown as junior minister for trade policy, dividing his time between DfID and the new Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. He was promoted to Minister of State rank with the same dual brief in October 2008.
Gareth was born in 1967 close to his Harrow constituency. He gained an economics degree from Aberystwyth then later studied history at King’s College, London and qualified as a teacher at Greenwich University. He was a councillor in Harrow for seven years, and Labour group whip. In his maiden speech he stressed that he had lived in Harrow all his life, and urged action on crime, housing and health.
Before his promotion to the Ministerial ranks, Gareth worked on a number of Standing Committees to deliver the Pollution Prevention and Control Bill, The National Lottery Bill, NHS Reform, Terrorism Bill, Regulation of Investigation Powers Bill and the Football Disorder Bill.
He has been chairman of the Co-operative Party since 2000, is a member of the Fabian Society, and has written on social responsibility and a low-carbon economy.
His hobbies include canoeing, rugby union and supporting Arsenal Football Club.
