Over 200 constituents from the Hendon, Finchley & Golders Green and Chipping Barnet constituencies attended a meeting with the Government’s Middle East Minister Alistair Burt.
Meeting at The Pillar hotel in Hendon on Thursday 13th September, local people were presented with an opportunity to ask direct questions about the Government’s policy and approach on issues connected with the Middle East. A wide range of questions included the impact of the American Presidential elections, the Foreign Secretary’s recent comments on the decision by the Israeli Cabinet to change the status of the Ariel University, settlements in the West Bank, and the future for the Peace Process in Israel.
The meeting was arranged by the three Members of Parliament in the borough of Barnet as part of a programme of events the MPs wish to organise to give the opportunity for greater engagement between their constituents and governmental decision–making.
Matthew said: "We rightly spend a great deal of time taking concerns and questions to government ministers from our constituents but this meeting allowed our constituents to directly question and challenge the Government. The Middle East is a controversial area and the meeting demonstrated that people have strong views about the issues there, but what people told me as they left was that they were listened to, had a chance to put their points across and most of all left with a view that the Minister is a sincere individual who did not simply tell people what they wanted to hear.”
Photo: Hendon resident and owner of The Pillar, Mr Benjamin Perl MBE, is accompanied by Middle East Mnister Alistair Burt MP, Theresa Villiers MP (Chipping Barnet), Mike Freer MP (Finchley & Golders Green) and Matthew Offord MP (Hendon)