Andrew Davis is the SDP prospective candidate for Winchester. We spoke with Andrew about his decision to stand.
“I am proud of this country and its heritage, and our traditions are valuable and should be respected. I do not like the radicalisation of society which I am seeing today as a result of people pushing divisive political agendas”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Andrew Davis. I was born in Hillingdon but have lived in Winchester since 1992. I am sixty years old. I have a degree in history from Warwick University and started my career in the 1980s as a customs and excise officer. Since then, I have worked in tax related roles in various companies in England, Ireland and Poland. I am still in full time work and commute into central London.
What made you decide to stand for the SDP?
I am one of the people who feels that I am not represented by the major political parties. I am from a working class background and have benefited from the post war welfare and educational reforms. I want to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity. However, I am proud of this country and its heritage, and our traditions are valuable and should be respected. I do not like the radicalisation of society which I am seeing today as a result of people pushing divisive political agendas.
You’re the Spokesman for Winchester what’s made you decide to represent this area?
I love Winchester and the people of Winchester. I want to give them a choice and try to break the stale political monoculture which has prevailed for too long.
“Winchester is a wealthy city located in a beautiful area. It therefore pains me to see the number of homeless people on the streets, and the associated problem of mental illness and addiction”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
Winchester is a wealthy city located in a beautiful area. It therefore pains me to see the number of homeless people on the streets, and the associated problem of mental illness and addiction. Dealing effectively with the pockets of deprivation in the city is a priority.
I have a particular interest in the environment of the area. I keep bees and am also actively involved in efforts to monitor the local wildlife. Managing the environment sensibly to protect the natural beauty of the area in the face of development pressures is a key concern. I do not however want to try to achieve this through persecution of car owners and other measures designed to force us back to the pre-industrial age.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
There are very few SDP members in the Winchester area for now. I am going to need help with leafletting and other activities needed to raise awareness of the party in the constituency. If anyone wants to help, please contact me at [email protected].
If you want to know more about the party visit our website at https://sdp.org.uk/.
Already a Councillor on Hughenden Parish Council, Yvonne Wilding is the SDP prospective candidate for Mid Buckinghamshire. We spoke with Yvonne about her decision to stand.
“I’m a pharmaceutical drug development consultant, essentially, I map out what needs to be done to check if new medicines work and are safe. I am a local Councillor and run a small business with my husband”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Yvonne Wilding, I live in Great Kingshill, Bucks and I am PPC for Mid Bucks. I’m a pharmaceutical drug development consultant, essentially, I map out what needs to be done to check if new medicines work and are safe. I am a local Councillor and run a small business with my husband who is retired. I have 3 grown up kids. Personal interests are nature, science, walks in countryside with 2 dogs. I belong to local environment and climate change group.
What made you decide to stand for the SDP?
I decided to stand for SDP because I couldn’t contemplate voting for either of the 3 main parties as they do not represent my values. I searched the Internet for other parties and after some digging came across SDP. The values and the policies really resonate with what I believe is important for our nation. I have been a Tory voter for most of my life, but I have been disgusted by their apparent moral slide and lack of integrity.
“I have lived in mid Bucks for 12 years and it us a wonderful place full of fabulous people. I want to continue to protect all that is good here”
You’re the Spokesman for Mid Bucks what’s made you decide to represent this area?
I have lived in mid Bucks for 12 years and it us a wonderful place full of fabulous people. I want to continue to protect all that is good here and avoid some of the monstrous things that councils have done in other parts of the country. I grew up in the North Midlands, so I know how easy it is to destroy towns and communities. My father was a coal miner – exploited by the mining industry and murdered by the tobacco industry. People matter. Communities matter.
“Housing needs to fit within the context of current properties, immigration needs careful control”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
Mid Bucks is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. We need to preserve this whilst continuing to create employment opportunities and housing. These 2 aims are not incompatible. Housing needs to fit within the context of current properties, immigration needs careful control, we need to invest heavily in green industries which improve the environment and climate. Sustainability is important Industries should be carefully managed so they are carbon neutral, and their buildings are in keeping with the landscape.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
Simon Keats is the Reform UK prospective candidate for Dorking and Horley. We spoke with Simon about his decision to stand.
“I’m amazed by Government and civil service stagnation and detachment from the people.”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Simon Keats, I have lived in the South of England all my life. Worked for the Met Police as a photographer for 14yrs and now a freelance photographer and video producer. I try and get involved in local groups around where I now live in Dorking time permitting. Always been interested in news and current affairs. Genuinely want to help local people and younger people in the area.
What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?
I wanted to stand for Reform as I’m amazed by Government and civil service stagnation and detachment from the people.
“I want to represent my neighbours of this new constituency”
You’re the Spokesman for Dorking and Horleywhat’s made you decide to represent this area?
I have the privilege of living in Dorking and Horley, and I want to represent my neighbours of this new constituency.
“Reform UK priorities of Lower Taxes and Cheaper Energy will directly assist people with the cost of living crisis”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
When I speak to people the two big concerns that keep coming up are housing and the cost of living. Reform UK priorities of Lower Taxes and Cheaper Energy will directly assist people with the cost of living crisis, and by implementing Net zero immigration we will reduce pressure on affordable housing and public services.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
Adam Hibbert is the SDP prospective candidate for Sevenoaks. We spoke with Adam about his decision to stand.
“I’m a Brexiteer from the Left tradition – frustrated at the way parliament proved incapable of living up to that result, and at Johnson’s failings over COVID”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m a volunteer organiser for the Social Democratic Party in the South East region, married, two teenaged children, working full-time – not in a political career. I joined the SDP in February 2021.
What made you decide to stand for the SDP?
I’m a Brexiteer from the Left tradition – frustrated at the way parliament proved incapable of living up to that result, and at Johnson’s failings over COVID. Seven wasted years, and no end in sight. So, I resolved to stop spectating and get on the pitch.
The Social Democratic Party has a common-sense programme to turn the ship around. Our “social market” principles chart a centrist course very different to that of the LibDems, or Reform – one that understands Britain as our home, not as a business or a charity, putting family, community, and nation first.
“I believe it’s right and healthy for MPs to truly belong to the community they seek to represent. It’s all about bringing politics home”
You’re the Spokesman for Sevenoaks what’s made you decide to represent this area?
I’ve lived here since 2012, raised my children here, following in the footsteps of my in-laws who raised both their daughters here through the 80s and 90s. I believe it’s right and healthy for MPs to truly belong to the community they seek to represent. It’s all about bringing politics home.
Sevenoaks bleeds blue if you cut it, but Tories were wiped-out in the local elections here in May, handing the town council to the LibDems. Why? Nothing to do with the local talent here – everything to do with voter fury at the national party’s political bankruptcy and administrative chaos.
We have a parachuted Cameron ‘talent’ here, in name at least, who I can’t hope to displace. But for one nation Tories, the politically homeless and Brexit-minded Labour voters, there has to be an option on the ballot paper that registers a coherent critique of the neoliberal Blob that she, the Labour Party and the LibDems now represent. This vote must send a clear signal to whichever combination of them happens to win, to put an end to their indifference towards British values and interests. A vote for the SDP does precisely that, like nothing else.
“I’m committed to rebalancing our education system, top to bottom, to support and empower those young people who are not university-fodder”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
I don’t think it’s appropriate for parliamentary candidates to fight on issues that are more properly the domain of local democracy – we’re here to influence national policy. Where national policy affects local issues, such as housing, I would urge voters to refer to our policies at the website – we know how to tackle these issues, head-on.
One of my teens attended Hadlow College, and I’m committed to rebalancing our education system, top to bottom, to support and empower those young people who are not university-fodder. I will likewise champion small enterprises, farming, and light industries, here – for a more productive, less service-heavy economy.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
Above all else, we need additional members and candidates to step forward. Go to https://sdp.org.uk/ for our policies and follow the party at @SDPhq on Twitter. Please do also contact me on twitter @adhib – I’ll advertise activities there as the campaign hots up.
Our South East Branch Coordinators are looking for constituency contacts across the region, from Oxfordshire via Hampshire across to Kent. You might be able to help us give your fellow constituents a decent option on your ballot paper, if you currently lack one.
Carl Buckfield is the SDP prospective candidate for Brighton Pavilion. We spoke with Carl about his decision to stand.
“Born into a working class family I was very excited to be the first in my family to go to university and eventually get a PhD”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Carl Buckfield, born in Carshalton, Surrey. We moved to Brighton when I was a child to be closer to family. I have lived in Brighton the majority of my life. Born into a working class family I was very excited to be the first in my family to go to university and eventually get a PhD; I am now a psychology lecturer. I am a staunch advocate for free speech and enlightenment values. Family is the most important thing in the world to me so I like to spend my free time with them. I have also spent years volunteering for St. Vincent De Paul Society charity so I can do my small part in alleviating poverty in the local community.
“The Conservative government have been disastrous over the last 13 years. Labour has turned its back on the working class and holds us and our values in contempt”
What made you decide to stand for the SDP?
The SDP are the party of common sense, something we are sorely missing at the present. For several years before becoming an SDP member I found myself politically homeless. The Conservative government have been disastrous over the last 13 years. Labour has turned its back on the working class and holds us and our values in contempt. The Green Party – sole purpose of fighting climate change – are completely impotent in this agenda as long as they put a primacy on eco-austerity measures over nuclear energy. The Liberal Democrats recently have been neither liberal nor democratic. The SDP left-of-centre economic policies and socially conservative values are my values. The SDP has long-term fixes for the most pressing issues facing ordinary citizen such as cost of living and housing.
“Voters deserve better than some parachute candidate who bounces from constituency to constituency trying their luck at places just because they think they have the best chance of winning there”
You’re the Spokesman for Brighton Pavilion what’s made you decide to represent this area?
Brighton is my home. I think whoever runs for a constituency should at least have deep roots there. The people of Brighton deserve someone who has invested time and energy into the area and who understands what the people and the city need. Voters deserve better than some parachute candidate who bounces from constituency to constituency trying their luck at places just because they think they have the best chance of winning there. With Caroline Lucas stepping down there is real opportunity for change in Brighton.
“Brighton is the most dangerous city in East Sussex with 103 crimes per 1000 people. The crime rate is 41% higher than the county overall. More proactive frontline policing is needed”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
Housing and the cost of living – Brighton is the most expensive place to live in Sussex and ranks among the most expensive places in UK. The city has catered to the increasing student population at the expense of affordable housing for permanent residents. I would work hard to tackle the level of homelessness in Brighton. The SDP will build more affordable homes and nationalise energy companies to reduce and control prices.
Commuting & travel – many Brighton residents commute to London for work. Commuting costs approx. £5600 per year which could increase to £6000 in 2024. The SDP are committed to nationalising railways. The trains are also a great opportunity for Brightonians to have relaxing weekend in London and Londoners to have a nice beach holiday. Nationalising railways will make these journeys cheaper for all and could encourage tourists to visit and spend more in Brighton.
Drugs and crime – Brighton is the drugs misuse death capital of the South East. As an addiction researcher I am committed to reducing the harms associated with drug use and making everyone healthier. Brighton is the most dangerous city in East Sussex with 103 crimes per 1000 people. The crime rate is 41% higher than the county overall. More proactive frontline policing is needed.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
I highly encourage people to join the SDP – check out our policies: https://sdp.org.uk/
People can contact me on [email protected] or on twitter @CBuck_SDP. Volunteers for leafletting and canvassing are always welcome. Finally, I also encourage people to stand. Check out our website to see if SDP are standing in your area: https://sdp.org.uk/general-election-candidates/. I am standing in Brighton Pavilion and Valerie Gray, is standing in Brighton Kemptown. It would be great if someone could stand in Hove.
We spoke with Les Beaumont when he ran for council in 2022. Les is now the SDP’s prospective candidate for the Ealing North constituency.
“Labour has abandoned working-class values and Tory rule has seen a disastrous decline in our wealth, resources and social cohesion”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
I’ve lived in the Ealing North constituency and its predecessor since 1995. I’m married with four grown-up children and four grandchildren. I enjoy cycling, reading, and watching football (born in North London, I’m a lifelong Arsenal fan) and take a keen interest in current affairs.
Before retirement, I ran a commercial cleaning company. You’ll now find me during the week at my local community-run library.
What made you decide to stand again for the SDP?
The major parties can’t match the mix of left-of-centre economic policies and socially conservative values that are unique to the SDP.
Our motto is ‘Family Community Nation’ and we are passionate about ensuring that government nurtures all three. Sadly, Labour has abandoned working-class values and Tory rule has seen a disastrous decline in our wealth, resources and social cohesion.
“the SDP’s goal is a united community grounded in a common vision of what the nation is and what it stands for”
You’re the Spokesman for Ealing North what’s made you decide to represent this area?
I stood in the local council elections in 2022. I’m standing again in the general election to give my fellow constituents the chance to vote for the SDP. A party that represents what I believe are the values and aspirations of the vast majority of British people.
Ealing’s is a diverse population but whatever your religion, ethnicity or heritage, the SDP’s goal is a united community grounded in a common vision of what the nation is and what it stands for.
“The SDP has a comprehensive set of policies to tackle these issues. Not short-term fixes but long-term solutions”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
The Economy, Health and Housing.
The SDP has a comprehensive set of policies to tackle these issues. Not short-term fixes but long-term solutions. Solutions that will re-energise our country and bring us lasting prosperity, will transform our health service into one to be proud of once again and will build homes in which our young people can bring up a family in comfort and security.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
Join the SDP! Go to https://sdp.org.uk/ read our policies and click on Join in the top right-hand corner of the screen. You can become a member or, for just £1 a month, become a Friend of the SDP.
Alternatively, if you’d rather just help out, email [email protected].
Stephen Mcnamara is the Reform UK prospective candidate for Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke. We spoke with Stephen last year in his role as a political advisor, below we speak to him about his candidacy.
“for several years now, usually working behind the scenes to recruit potential candidates into the world of politics. For that, I probably owe the world an apology…”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a long-distance luxury coach driver during my working week, but the Stephen McNamara known more publicly has been politically active for several years now, usually working behind the scenes to recruit potential candidates into the world of politics. For that, I probably owe the world an apology…
What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?
I felt politically homeless for a period there. I helped a few independents and a new group for about a year or so, but I had been approached on a few occasions to join reform. I was reluctant at first as I knew what happened in the run up to the 2019 General Election and I was sceptical that this would be another repeat of that. I didn’t want to waste my time if that was the plan.
Over the following weeks and months, I sought reassurance from the main party leadership, and they assured me that the plan was to oust the incumbent party from government ultimately seek to replace them as one of the mainstream viable options for voters.
The Scottish organiser and colleagues made me feel quite welcome since joining and encouraged me to go through the internal vetting process. I’ve been approved now as a prospective candidate and now planning my election campaign to reach out to as many people as possible.
“labour and the SNP are just as bad and that to effect real change it means voting for something new. There’s no bigger proverbial insult to the Tories than voting for Reform!”
You’re the Spokesperson for Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke what’s made you decide to represent this area?
This is where I’m based for my other day job. My youngest daughter was born in Wishaw when I used to stay in Motherwell, and I know the area reasonably well. I also know there’s still a harbouring hatred of the Tories in the area, but I hope to be able to help these same people understand that labour and the SNP are just as bad and that to effect real change it means voting for something new. There’s no bigger proverbial insult to the Tories than voting for Reform!
“Unemployment is quite possibly the biggest issue for many people here. Tory policies from the 80’s are still being felt some 40 years later. The previous Labour government was so incompetent that they just made things worse”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
Unemployment is quite possibly the biggest issue for many people here. Tory policies from the 80’s are still being felt some 40 years later. The previous Labour government was so incompetent that they just made things worse with their constant interference in the economy. With the government switching back to Conservative and now possibly looking like another Labour government again, the people of this constituency are simply being played like a ball in a game of tennis, smacked around the political court with no hope of winning. That’s where Reform come in. Get rid of the incompetent two and move this democracy forward once more.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
In Scotland especially, we still have a lot of ground to cover. I’m only one man after all so I cannot get around to speaking and meeting everyone. Reform is that breath of fresh air needed to revitalise the country’s stale economic outlook. Join the growing list of members who are frustrated with the status quo and help in any way that you can. You can also follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/StephenMcLbrtrn or find Reform UK at https://www.reformparty.uk/.
“I voted to stay in the EU in 1975 but two years later came to the conclusion it was a huge mistake. I thought it would be a trading organisation but soon discovered it had a political agenda”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Tony Love and I live in Felixstowe, next to Ipswich, with my long term partner. I have three children
I voted to stay in the EU in 1975, but two years later came to the conclusion that it was a huge mistake. I thought it would be a trading organisation, but soon discovered it had a political agenda; the breakdown of the nation state and their borders, which would lead to the breakdown of our cultural identities and eventually our communities. It is true that for the next forty years I bored everybody I met trying to explain why we should leave.
I was a bookmaker for thirty years on the Surrey/Hampshire borders. On the night of the Referendum I sat down to watch David Dimbleby, expecting that we would vote to stay in the EU. Forty years and I would now have to shut up! The good news is we voted to leave, the bad news is it cost me £10,000 in my betting shops, paying out on bets taken that day to Leave at 9/1.
“The biggest ever infringement of our civil liberties occurred during the Covid Lockdown with the Labour Party wanting to be more draconian than the Government”
What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?
I watched the lunacy in the House of Commons as the politicians strove to overthrow the biggest ever constitutional vote ever in our country. I watched as John Bercow attempted a coup of our Parliament. My partner kept telling me to stop moaning and do something about it if I felt so passionately, so I did, I was the candidate for the Brexit Party in Suffolk Coastal in the 2019 election. Nigel Farage then stood us down to assist Boris Johnson who promised to achieve Brexit, but I had made too many promises that I would stand and so continued as an Independent.
The biggest ever infringement of our civil liberties occurred during the Covid Lockdown with the Labour Party wanting to be more draconian than the Government. The vile coercion used by Parliament to make us comply, let alone the restriction on freedom of speech, travel, familial relations etc. beggared belief.
I have also watched this Conservative Government lie barefaced about its promises to keep immigration in the tens of thousands. They have been complicit in the cultural destruction of our cities and towns by allowing huge numbers to legally enter our country, over 600,000 net last year. Illegal immigration last year was 52,000 and that was only those we know about.
The people of Ipswich have lost cultural identity, their community, and their town, with many feeling intimidated in the town centre and most certainly in the evenings. The town is dying, shoplifting by gangs and individuals is rampant, businesses are leaving, and the police are ineffective.
“We are against Net Zero, 15-minute neighbourhoods and ULEZ which are being imposed against majority opinion. We intend to be the voice of the silent majority”
Richard Tice, the party leader of Reform, has financially enabled the Party to survive these past four years, and it now stands alone in offering a real option to those who feel disenfranchised. I was not going to be politically involved again as I felt I had done my bit, but the so very sad situation in this country has changed my mind. I have decided to stand up for the people of Ipswich in my neighbouring constituency.
The Reform party is beginning to gain traction. We are not against migration as we are a nation that has always welcomed and then benefited from migration. But we are against unfettered migration, and most certainly illegal migration. We are for the principles of democracy that our present political incumbents think they can ignore. We are for the rights of the individual, which are being obliterated by international organisations. We are against Net Zero, 15-minute neighbourhoods and ULEZ, which are being imposed against majority opinion. We intend to be the voice of the silent majority, the people who know something has gone badly wrong and need someone to vote for.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
At a local level Reform Ipswich can be contacted through our website – reformukipswich.com, and followed on Twitter.
At a national level Reform can be contacted through our website – reform party.uk.
With Reform UK rapidly appointing candidates for we spoke with Mark Simpson the candidate for Eltham & Chislehurst.
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Mark Simpson and after a journey from Aberdeen to Yorkshire to China I find myself in London. After returning from a 7-year stint in China I returned to the UK / London to pursue a Masters degree in International Business and Politics from Queen Mary, University of London. Today, I work full-time in sales. When not working (or Reforming) I enjoy watching various sports (in a pub with a pint preferred!), reading and travelling. During my years abroad, I was fortunate to have spent time in so many amazing destinations in East Asia and really getting to see what a wonderful world we live in.
“politics is not about winning per se. It is about standing up for what you believe in and doing what you can to forward that.”
What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?
It is many ways simple, if it wasn’t for Reform UK, I would not in good conscience have a political party I could vote for. My political leanings have taken me along the same political path Nigel Farage has trodden. I stood for UKIP, supported the Brexit Party and upon my return kept my support behind the vehicle for change Richard Tice kept going, Reform UK. The establishment parties do not represent me. I remember growing up as a teenager and being anti-the Iraq War and seeing how Tony Blair ignored the millions that went to protest it and how he lied to the country to take us to war. (how many of the woes in the Middle East today stem from that?!) The Conservatives aren’t much better, I won’t waste anyone’s time repeating why.
I have always felt it important to support a party that aligns with my principles, even to the detriment of being able to taste victory. To me, politics is not about winning per se. It is about standing up for what you believe in and doing what you can to forward that. Reform UKs commonsense policies of stopping the boats and cutting immigration, cutting taxes for the poorest in society, abandoning Net Zero and being proud of our country and heritage resonate strongly.
Today my role at Reform UK has evolved. I stood in our first-ever election, the 2021 London Assembly candidate (List and constituency candidate) and now take care of several London Boroughs as the regional organiser. It is hard work, the party is building something entirely new from the ground up to challenge a political system that is designed to keep outsiders firmly out. I see from my discussions with members and chats on the doorstep what an opportunity there is for Reform UK. Brexit was hard fought but demonstrated the change millions across the entire UK wanted to see. Reform UK continues with this bold and crucially optimistic vision of how Britain should be.
“The current Labour MP Clive Efford and the prospective Conservative candidate both wanted and actively campaigned for a second referendum. That is simply not acceptable and must be challenged”
You’re the Spokesman for Eltham & Chislehurst what’s made you decide to represent this area?
As well as being the candidate for Eltham and Chislehurst I have contested Mottingham, Coldharbour and New Eltham ward during the Greenwich council elections of 2022 and will be standing again in the upcoming London assembly elections locally. This is a part of London that I have decided to call home.
It is an area that voted Leave in the EU referendum and will have a slate of candidates that supported remaining in the EU. The current Labour MP Clive Efford and the prospective Conservative candidate both wanted and actively campaigned for a second referendum. That is simply not acceptable and must be challenged. Leaving the EU was the first step on a journey to fundamentally change our country and the direction of travel successive governments had taken us down.
When I go out and talk to locals across the constituency I am struck by the lack of enthusiasm for politics. People are fed up with the current Tory government, which is no surprise after 13 years when most people would struggle to name much in the country that has changed for the better. There is no love for Labour, when people say they will vote for them at the next election, they are doing so as a vote against the Conservatives, not for Keir Starmer and his politics.
And this for me is where Reform UK is crucial. We stand on a platform that puts the interest of ordinary people first. In Reform UK we are NOT career politicians, we entered politics to give a voice the the forgotten and champion the big issues people really care about.
“I spoke to a lady who has had her house broken into 3 times in 18 months and feels totally unsupported by the police. I spoke with a local business owner about how shoplifters act with impunity, whilst he loses hundreds of pounds per week”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
As with most of London, crime is the root cause of so many of the woes we face. Successive governments have failed to take the zero-tolerance approach to crime that is necessary. At the weekend I spoke to a lady who has had her house broken into 3 times in 18 months and feels totally unsupported by the police. I spoke with a local business owner about how shoplifters act with impunity, whilst he loses hundreds of pounds per week. These are real people, having lives and livelihoods ruined by the inability of the police. This must change and can never be normalised.
We must also address the lack of TFL services and accessibility to them. I will push for the DLR expansion to be continued into the constituency and regular express busses to be linked to the Elizabeth Line so its benefits can be shared.
There is also a feeling among residents that Eltham is a forgotten part of Greenwich. Despite having elected Conservative councillors in Eltham, what is really needed is a strong voice for change that will speak up for the constituency and its residents.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
All help is welcomed, regardless of experience or how long you can commit. The establishment has had many years of a heard start on Reform UK, but with support we can be the change people are looking for. I am active on Twitter @RealMgSimpson and can be contacted by email at [email protected].
There really is something for everyone to get involved with and I am happy to discuss!
We first interviewed Alan Cook in 2019 when he was a prospective candidate for the then Brexit Party. We caught up again with Alan who is now the Reform UK Party candidate for Bromley & Biggin Hill.
Can you briefly introduce yourself again to our readers
I am the Reform UK candidate for Bromley & Biggin Hill and also a candidate for the party in the London Assembly. I live with my girlfriend of 26 years with our two amazing daughters and a fox terrier. We split our time living between Bromley and Westminster, obviously a great situation to be in and ideal if I do manage to secure the parliamentary position. I have had a long and successful career in business. I think it is time to give something back to my wonderful country. The greasy pole of politics for its own sake holds no attraction for me. I see public service as just that, being a servant to the public. These days unfortunately it appears that many in parliament are self-serving and not aware of the true honour and meaning of the role.
“the end result being them both admitting that the illegal crossings by boats could be stopped immediately but there is not the political will within the party to do so”
…and tell us what you’ve been up to in the past few years since we last spoke?
After the 2019 election I joined the Tories and started the procedure to become a candidate, however it didn’t take me long to discover that it was no longer a party with conservative values or policies and was not going to be anytime soon. My plan to steer the party from the inside was unfortunately rather naive.
This was borne out over a conversation I had on immigration in the Commons with David Davis and Sir Bill Wiggin, the end result being them both admitting that the illegal crossings by boats could be stopped immediately but there is not the political will within the party to do so and that it would not look good internationally!!! I believe uncontrolled immigration, both legal and illegal is the driving force behind so many of the issues we are facing in this country, pressures on education, health, housing, and employment. It is very well known that low skilled migration is not positive for the economy. Needless to say, I left the Tory party that week and joined Reform UK.
Work wise, I was involved in studying new technologies including Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and Blockchain and have worked closely with Triad Group plc, a main list quoted company in the IT industry and also with one of the UKs leading layer-1 blockchain platform providers. However, I am now fully invested in politics, which has already earnt me the nicknamed ‘One job Al’, which is a little dig at the incumbent Bromley MP.
You are a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) for Artificial Intelligence and for Blockchain. How did you get involved in these?
I’m also involved with two more, the APPG for Crypto & Digital Assets and the APPG for Digital Skills, which is a very rewarding one. Its remit is digital upskilling and ensuring the non-tech literate are not left behind but also to ensure that the race to digital services doesn’t erase face to face public interaction. My involvement in these was necessary through the work I was doing with Triad Group Plc. I am less involved now but I still dedicate some of my free time towards them. It is important that the Commons and the Lords are properly informed regarding technology and how to regulate it.
Saying that, we decided that trying to regulate A.I. would be futile. Apart from the fact that technology does not respect national borders, A.I. is evolving at such an incredible pace, we realised the best way forward was to create an advisory framework instead of trying to regulate it.
There are both fun and serious sides to APPGs. Getting an invite to the AGM of the APPG for beer is a bonus but on the other hand, having weapons manufacturing companies debating against representatives from the United Nations and Amnesty International on the use of A.I. in target selection for deadly weapons, brings home the seriousness of the work.
“With no difference between the two parties, we now have a one-party system. Never before has government reform been more needed, thankfully Reform UK is giving the people an option”
Beyond technology, what are the passions that have found you throwing your hatinto the electoral ring again?
I’ve already mentioned immigration, but you are right tech has kept me in the political arena to a degree, although it is a-political, which is very healthy for creating a balanced view. I do get other insights from being the vice-chair of a House of Commons based social think tank. Through this I have good access to the Commons and to many people therein.
At a recent Commons breakfast, the day after the Labour Party cabinet reshuffle, I received wonderful insights into the possible future under a Labour government. One Lord at the breakfast announced that after the reshuffle, a gaggle of peers in the Lords surrounded Peter Mandelson and congratulated him on being back in power, obviously a reference to the number of Blairites moved into the Labour cabinet. Also, at the same breakfast, the Times and Sunday Times political editor said that the rumour of a rift between Blair and Starmer was fabricated, in fact both Blair and Brown have Starmer’s ear. Having access to inside information is one of the things that has drawn me back into politics. This recent titbit very much cements my reason for doing so. I want the UK to be sovereign and self-determining – to be able to decide its own destiny. Clearly Kier is a puppet for Blair, Brown and Mandelson, all of whom are in league with the global elite, as is the billion-dollar Sunak couple. I believe the UK should not pander to super national corporations, bodies and billionaires, that is why I am standing and am very passionate on this subject.
We used to have a two-party system before the Tories slid to the left. We now have the highest taxation in 70 years, high debt, a nanny state, big government, increasing reliance on benefits, uncontrolled immigration, and a leaning towards the globalist agenda instead of being UK centric. With no difference between the two parties, we now have a one-party system. Never before has government reform been more needed, thankfully Reform UK is giving the people an option.
I shouldn’t complain, the lack of choice makes us more relevant and our job easier. When canvassing we tend to hear either ‘thank you for doing what you are doing and you have my vote’or ‘who are you’? But again ‘who are you’ is an easier thing to address than ‘I disagree with you’, we are in a good place and voter intention polls are moving in our favour. We’re in this for the long term, we are not just looking at this election but we are also planning for the next.
The existing two or as it seems one party system now, has produced truly awful results over the last 30 years and it is genuinely time for reform.
My objective in seeking election to the House of Commons is to perform my public duties to the best of my abilities and energies. If I have the honour to be elected to serve and represent Bromley & Biggin Hill. I will intend to engage as a very active constituency MP and a plain-speaking member of the House of Commons. I will set up a staffed constituency office and spend significant time throughout the whole constituency.
“I chose to represent Bromley & Biggin Hill as I feel very lucky to have grown up there, I look back fondly and feel protective, I want others to have similar positive experiences”
You’re the Spokesman for Bromley and Chislehurst what’s made you decide to represent this area?
My family moved to Bickley when I was in my early teens. Bromley was a pleasant and safe place to be at that age, it is no longer safe, and that will be one of my absolute priorities. I may have spent a little too much time in The Bickley Arms and the Ramblers Rest, but also the Chislehurst Caves as it was so close to where we lived. I knew the tour guides and we used to explore parts of the caves that were not open to the public, there was always something interesting to do locally.
Bromley is still a wonderful place to live, but I have seen changes that are not positive. Not just in local government services, health education, policing but also the social cohesion and I think planning has a role to play here. The Tories always tend to fall in favour of big business at the expense of the residents, I believe the residents and small local businesses should always be my first consideration.
So, I chose to represent Bromley & Biggin Hill as I feel very lucky to have grown up there, I look back fondly and feel protective, I want others to have similar positive experiences.
“I’m setting up a team to help the funding to get the Downe Activity Centre, an 86 acres centre back up and running for the Scouts. I enjoyed camping there as a child, when these places are gone, they are gone for good”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
Transport: I’ve been working closely with Howard Cox our London mayoral candidate on the creep of anti-motorist policy, ULEX LTN’s etc. Affordable private transport in conjunction with a fit for purpose public transportation network is key for the functioning of work, family, and our social lives.
Crime: Zero tolerance on knife crime, kick off with a knife amnesty, more visible policing, a greater number of bobbies on the beat. Remove all wokeness from the police force, have them concentrate on key policing, not chasing transgressions on social media. I’m setting up a team to help the funding to get the Downe Activity Centre, an 86 acres centre back up and running for the Scouts. I enjoyed camping there as a child, when these places are gone, they are gone for good, young people need a greater number of local outlets for fun and learning.
Planning: Change local planning so it favours the people that live in the constituency, not big business.
Waste: I will seek to ensure no taxpayers’ money is wasted by the council on vanity projects, diversity managers etc. I will stop the council’s headlong rush to reach net zero by 2027, this totally unnecessary cost will be borne by the residents amidst a cost-of-living crisis, it is total madness.
Woke: I will endeavour to erase gender ideology and critical race theory from education and any department or body that is in any way publicly funded, full stop.
And of course, it’s very important that I hear from the people what their issues are, my contact details are my website just google reform Alan Cook or enter the site address which is below.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
We have regular social drinks meeting in Bromley where we talk policy, plan street stalls and leafletting walks around the constituency. Every 2 to 3 months I plan on organising larger speaking events at which we will invite senior people from the party and other leading political entities. The last one included speeches from Ben Habib, Howard Cox, Roger Gravett and me, it was excellent fun, informative and very well received.
