OCCASIONALLY I receive emails from constituents expressing frustration at the Government’s approach to a particular international issue.

Last month, we heard the appalling news that more than 250 young girls were abducted from their school in Nigeria.

It is clear that the international community is united in its response to this act of pure evil.

The Foreign Office and the Army have already dispatched counter-terrorism experts. Hopefully, when the crisis is resolved, it will be important to continue supporting Governments across Africa to tackle the scourge of global extremism.

In Europe, escalating tensions in Ukraine have highlighted that there are considerable outstanding political challenges to overcome, as well as ongoing security threats.

Last week’s referendum was organised, run and counted by a number of separatists: as before, it has no constitutional basis and is not recognised by the international community.

I am often asked what effect our Government has on events like these. In reality we do not have binary choices in any foreign policy arena, nor levers we can pull quickly and unilaterally in Whitehall to resolve these crises. In a globalised economy, targeted economic sanctions can have a damaging impact: but they are not a quick fix.

Painstaking and patient diplomacy, in conjunction with intense lobbying behind the scenes at EU and UN levels, remains the most common and effective way to move events in the right direction.

These events remind me how fortunate we are to enjoy stable democracy in the UK, right down to the local level.

Saturday marks the annual Mayor-making in Salisbury and I look forward to welcoming Councillor Jo Broom to that office.

Outgoing Mayor Penny Brown has been an ever-cheerful presence in Salisbury at the numerous events we have attended together and she has made an immense contribution to civic life in Salisbury. I wish her a welcome break after Saturday’s formalities are concluded.

As Parliament wraps up another session, I look forward to returning to the constituency, and particularly to the opening of the eagerly-anticipated Salisbury Festival next Friday.