Barnet is one of the country’s most diverse boroughs, with residents from an immensely wide range of different cultural, religious, ethnic and national backgrounds. Theresa’s campaigning priorities reflect that diversity with a focus on a number of issues looking out to the wider world. Some of these include:
- Supporting the cause of a united Cyprus, gaining assurances from the Prime Minister that Britain would support the talks aimed at delivering a negotiated settlement;
- Working extensively to combat anti-Semitism and speaking up in Parliament in support of the state of Israel;
- Working with Chipping Barnet’s Tamil community to highlight the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka and issues resulting from the country’s long civil war;
- Bringing MPs together in Parliament to support Christians facing persecution around the world;
- Raising concerns about oppression and human rights abuse in Iran.
Read more about current and past campaigns below:
A reunited Cyprus
For more than 15 years, Theresa has been campaigning for justice for Cyprus and supporting efforts to reunify the island. Recently, she gained assurances from the Prime Minister at PMQs that the UK Government would give its full support the talks between President Anastasiades and Mustapha Akinci to secure a negotiated settlement for a free and united Cyprus. In January, she and other Conservative MPs met Europe Minister Alan Duncan to urge him to ensure the British Government takes every step it can to assist in the negotiations.
October 2018: Conservatives for Cyprus host Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt
July 2018: No direct flights to north of Cyprus: Grayling gives assurance to Villiers
April 2018: Happy Easter to the Cypriot community
February 2018: Villiers protests about Turkish warships obstructing oil and gas extraction in Cyprus EEZ
October 2017: Conservative Friends of Cyprus host Boris at annual party conference reception
October 2017: Conservative Friends of Cyprus meet Committee on Missing Persons
October 2017: Villiers attends 2017 Morphou Rally in Cyprus
July 2017: Conservatives call for Cypriot unity on 43rd anniversary of invasion
May 2017: An 18 year track record of supporting freedom for Cyprus
April 2017: Cypriot community shows support for Theresa Villiers MP
February 2017: Villiers visits Cyprus to express support for efforts to reunify the island
January 2017: Europe Minister assures MPs that UK will take all steps to support a Cyprus solution
November 2016: Villiers brings Cyprus and Israel groups together in Parliament
October 2016: Support for Barnet twin town Morphou
October 2016: Hope for a reunited Cyprus: Villiers speaks up at Conservative Party Conference
September 2016: A free and united Cyprus: Villiers receives assurances from PM
January 2016: Will 2016 see progress on Cyprus settlement?
Combatting anti-Semitism
Theresa has worked extensively to combat anti-Semitism, working with the police and organisations such as the Community Security Trust. She has repeatedly spoken up in support of the state of Israel, and has been a member of Conservative Friends of Israel for many years. She opposes boycott campaigns and has urged the government to take action to ensure that UK aid to the Palestinian authority is not misused and diverted to support payments to terrorists. In Parliament and outside, she has called on Labour and the Liberal Democrats to condemn anti-Semitism in politics.
October 2018: Theresa Villiers calls for solidarity with the Jewish community in the face of antisemitism from the left
July 2018: Villiers joins second protest about antisemitism in Labour
April 2018: MPs unite to condemn antisemitism
March 2018: Villiers backs #EnoughIsEnough protest on anti-Semitism in Labour
March 2018: Theresa Villiers takes forward draft Bill to enable return of artworks stolen from Holocaust victims
January 2018: MP attends Holocaust Memorial Day event in Barnet
February 2017: Villiers visits Israel and the West Bank
January 2017: Villiers signs Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment
November 2016: Villiers brings Cyprus and Israel groups together in Parliament
November 2016: Centenary of the Balfour Declaration
October 2016: Supporting Israel: Speech at CFI reception
January 2016: Holocaust Memorial Day supported by Barnet MPs
February 2015: Villiers welcomes APPG report on anti-Semitism
September 2014: Home Secretary and local MPs vow to tackle new threat of anti-Semitism
Supporting the persecuted church around the world
Theresa is gravely concerned about the discrimination and violence faced by Christians in many countries around the world. For the past two years, Theresa has brought MPs together in Parliament to discuss the ‘World Watch List’ produced by the Open Doors charity: a list of 50 countries where Christians face persecution because of their faith. The 2017 report highlights the link between the increase in religious persecution and the global migrant crisis.
January 2018: Barnet MP launches World Watch List 2018 on persecution of Christians
March 2017: Questions to the Church Commissioner on helping victims of famine in South Sudan
January 2017: Persecuted Christians receive support from MP
January 2016: Launch of ‘World Watch List’
January 2015: Chipping Barnet MP at Religious Freedom Report Launch
Campaigning for justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka
After her Tamil constituents came to see her to set out their concerns about war crimes committed during the military conflict in Sri Lanka, Theresa pledged to support their campaign for accountability for those responsible. She is working with the Tamil community to promote a negotiated settlement to deliver justice and political equality for Tamils in Sri Lanka. She helped set up the British Tamil Conservatives to encourage this minority community to get involved in politics and ensure their voice is heard. She was also one of the founder members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Tamils when it was recently re-established.
October 2018: Theresa Villiers MP lobbies UN for implementation of Sri Lanka resolution
February 2018: Theresa Villiers MP condemns actions of Sri Lankan diplomat
October 2016: Speech to British Tamil Conservatives
June 2015: Villiers supports the re-establishment of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Tamils
April 2015: Villiers campaigns for justice for Tamils
Standing up against human rights abuses in Iran
At the invitation of one of her British Iranian constituents, Theresa joined a rally in Trafalgar Square November 2016 to protest against human rights abuses in Iran. She is a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Iran Freedom.
In the past, she repeatedly raised concerns with the Iranian Government about a constituent who she believes was kidnapped and killed by the Iranian authorities. Last year, she contacted Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson last year to highlight the cases of three British citizens who have been imprisoned in Evin prison in Iran. She is urging Boris to press the Iranian authorities for the release of 77 year old Kamal Foroughi, held for over 5 and a half years and deprived of urgent cataracts surgery needed to avoid going blind; 37 year old Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, held since April 2016; her 2 year old daughter Gabriella has had her UK passport confiscated by the Iranian authorities; 50 year old Roya Nobakht, held for over 3 years.
October 2017: Villiers leads debate in Parliament on horrific human rights abuses in Iran
July 2017: Villiers addresses the global Iranian community at Free Iran Annual Gathering
February 2017: Villiers speaks out on plight of women in Iran
November 2016: Rally against human rights abuses in Iran
Animal Welfare
Theresa is committed to working to combat the abuse of animals both at home and abroad. She has spoken up in Parliament on many occasions to call for stronger rules to protect animals from unnecessary suffering.
April 2018: Progress in campaign to end live exports
February 2018: Ban on live animal exports moves a step closer
October 2017: Barnet MP proposes Bill to ban live exports
October 2017: Villiers welcomes victory in two animal welfare campaigns
September 2017: Ban live exports!