A powerful voice for Cyprus in the UK

A Londoner hoping to be the first Cypriot woman in the UK parliament tells PAUL LAMBIS about her hopes for the island and raising its profile in the Labour party

Suzy Stride is an active member of the Cypriot community in the UK and is hoping later this year to become the first ever Cypriot woman to sit in parliament. Stride has been a labour activist since she was a teenager, and she attributes her interest in politics to her upbringing in East London.

“We need strong voices in parliament; people who are actively involved in their communities and are determined to bring about change through their efforts,” Stride said. “We must remember that it is not about having power or money; it is about having a heart and a vision to bring about change, and that is what I am determined to do for the community that I serve.”

In the 1950s, Stride’s grandmother arrived in East London from Eptakomi in the north. Their limited English, like that of many other Cypriot families at the time, proved difficult, resulting in her mother’s exclusion from school and placement in a children’s home due to a life of abject poverty.

“I was shaped by an understanding of my family’s struggles, as well as a mother who was desperately poor and used milk crates for furniture,” Stride told the Cyprus Mail. “I have worked very hard for the last two decades to support young vulnerable teenagers in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the majority of whom are from Bangladesh or from black and other minority backgrounds.

“It is heart-breaking to see the parallels between the young people I work with and the way my mother struggled.”

Stride believes her experiences have taught her that Britain needs people in parliament who have lived through the issues they are fighting for. “A Labour government would transform this country’s landscape, including schools, the NHS, and housing,” she said.

However, before running in a future general election, Suzy must win the Labour selection. For over two decades, she has been an active member of the party, working in local schools, youth centres and community projects. In addition to her ongoing efforts, Stride has also advised the shadow cabinet on how to engage young people in politics.

Her passion for London’s East End is undeniable, as she recognises the area’s potential and the limitless opportunities available to young people, but there are many barriers to overcome, including economic hardships. “A Labour government will break down these barriers and change people’s lives. If they get it in privileged areas, why can’t they get it in Poplar? How many lives are wasted because opportunities simply do not exist? I believe the best days for the East End are ahead of us.”

Stride grew up in a family that was deeply rooted in their Cypriot heritage. Her mother maintains strong ties with her ancestral birthplace, frequently visiting the island.

“My mother’s story has a happy ending,” she said. “Despite the fact that she graduated from high school with no GCSEs, she encouraged all of her children to work hard, and all three of us went to Cambridge University from state schools.”

Her mother worked for The Island Neighbourhood Project, a local charity in Poplar, on the Isle of Dogs. Suzy’s father founded a social housing organisation and has spent the last 40 years working to improve housing in one of the country’s poorest areas. “Part of his passion stems from living in council housing with two children and a pregnant wife, while his neighbour was a violent alcoholic who threatened his family on a daily basis,” she added.

Her grandfather is remembered for his work with the homeless in Brick Lane in the 1970s. She recalls how, as a child, she shared Christmas Day dinner with a large group of strangers whom she mistook for close family friends, only to discover years later that they were in fact homeless people whom her grandfather welcomed as family every year.

As MP, Stride would fight for her community while also advocating for a just settlement for all Cypriots. “The fact that Nicosia is the world’s last divided capital city, that Famagusta is a ghost town, and that many people, including my family, have lost land, homes, and friends as a result of the illegal occupation of the northern part of our island motivates me to continue.”

Stride witnessed the smashed up graveyard where her grandfather is buried on a recent visit to Eptakomi, and she struggled to find his tombstone because the graveyard was so destroyed. “There is a lot of pain and sadness for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, but change – as well as resolution – is possible, and I will do everything in my power to bring it about.”

She has joined forces with Bambos Charalambous, a British Labour Party MP and others to establish the first Labour Friends of Cyprus Society. According to outgoing Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, who met Stride during his last visit to the UK, “Suzy will be a powerful voice in the UK Parliament for her local area, and for the Cypriot diaspora.”

If you want to be a part of Stride’s campaign, contact [email protected]. Her previous campaign video can be found here