Friend of Cyprus Thanet North MP Roger Gale has received a knightbhood in the New Year Honours List, he has since 1974 spent a great deal of time seeking to promote an honourable and fair solution to the problems of the Island of Cyprus. He has spoken several times at several Cyprus rallies and also visited Cyprus for this cause.

The Conservative politician, who has served in Westminster since 1983, will now be known as Sir Roger Gale.

He said: “I feel that this is, first and foremost, not a political but a public service award. Suzy [his wife] and I have been engaged in community work since long before I became a Member of Parliament in 1983; when I was elected we decided together how we were going to work and we have just gone on doing it ever since.

“I regard this as an enormous honour, particularly granted as it is, at the start of Her Majesty`s Diamond Jubilee Year. It is, though, an honour that belongs to my wife, Suzy, who has worked alongside me and supported me throughout every day that I have been a Member of Parliament and who, together with three long-suffering and wonderful children, continues to do so.

“It is also a recognition of the back-up that I have received from my dedicated and loyal office team, of the encouragement, friendship and hard work of my constituency association Chairman and members and, of course, of those people who have, in successive general elections, placed their continuing trust in me as their elected representative at Westminster.

“What now? Quite simply, we carry on. There are very many things that I still want to achieve on behalf of the people that I represent. There are very many challenges that face our country and I want to support David Cameron and his government in their endeavours to meet those challenges.

Suzy and I will, of course, retain our very active work for animals through Suzy’s Animals Worldwide charity and my support for SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad). I also intend to continue the effort that I have put into supporting developing democracies across the world. That ought to be enough to keep me and those around me busy for a few years yet.”