With local elections across London in May, we speak with Sandy Mcdougall, SDP candidate for Clapham Park ward in London Borough of Lambeth.
“I don’t think local authorities should have positions on international affairs. The focus should be resolutely local”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
I am 59 years old. I’m Scottish and have lived in London since 1990, in Lambeth since 1996. I work in local government. I decided to run as I think I could make a positive contribution to my local area, and a loss of faith in how local government is being run at the moment. For instance, I don’t think local authorities should have positions on international affairs. The focus should be resolutely local.
“I will push the Council and Ringway to fix pavement hazards fast, including autumn leaf build-up.”
You’re the prospective candidate for Clapham Park ward. What are the main concerns in the area?
Community safety: ASB and crime
I will work with the Safer Neighbourhoods Team for patrols, ANPR at hotspots, and Community Trigger action on persistent ASB.
Local environment: fly-tipping and pavements
I will push the Council and Ringway to fix pavement hazards fast, including autumn leaf build-up.
On fly-tipping, I will target hotspots with covert cameras, demand rapid removals, and act against repeat offenders.
Regeneration and amenities
I will press for shops and facilities to open early, so services keep pace with new homes.
Kings Avenue Hub: deliver the community centre and retail/leisure on time.
Market Square: get it active early with pop-ups and events.
Commercial strategy: prioritise affordable units for independents.
I will support resident-led initiatives and attend the Residents Committee quarterly.
More widely what do you see as the major issues that if elected you hope to champion?
My approach is to focus on ward priorities and core services, delivering value for money.
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
With local elections across London in May, we speak with Steve Gardner, SDP candidate for Hillingdon East ward in London Borough of Hillingdon.
“People want to and have a right to feel safe in their community and homes. We do have a safer neighbourhood team for the ward, but this is understaffed and overworked”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
My name is Steve Gardner and I’m standing for the SDP in the London ward of Hillingdon East, where I live along with most of my family.
You’re the prospective candidate for Hillingdon East ward, what are the major concerns in the area?
From speaking to those who live in the area and from my own observations, I would say the main concerns are community safety, HMO overdevelopment and fly tipping. Obviously, there are others, but these are three that come up quite often.
Hillingdon East is quite a nice place to live but there are anti-social issues that need addressing. People want to and have a right to feel safe in their community and homes. We do have a safer neighbourhood team for the ward, but this is understaffed and overworked. I don’t think this problem is just in this ward; I think it’s common all over London. More must be done when it comes to community Policing and safety.
“making it cheaper for commercial waste to be disposed of at local refuse sites might help to reduce fly tipping so there is a lot to consider”
HMOs are another major concern, especially with the migrant hotels closing. We are quite close to Heathrow and there are a few migrant hotels there so the Borough as a whole is under pressure to accommodate not just its own residents, but many others that have ended up here. There are a few HMO applications in the ward and to be honest, it’s difficult for the infrastructure to accommodate them. Additionally, HMO’s result in a loss of family housing, an increase in waste management, an increase in tenant turnover which can lead to an increase in noise and anti-social behaviour and an increase in parking issues and traffic. Most houses accommodate two car families, but HMOs can have up to four or five cars.
As for fly tipping, this is common all over the borough and so much more needs to be done. Installing covert cameras in known hotspots and increased penalties are needed and the seizure and crushing of vehicles involved needs to be rigorously enforced. Additionally, making it cheaper for commercial waste to be disposed of at local refuse sites might help to reduce fly tipping so there is a lot to consider.
More widely what do you see as the big issues for the London Borough of Hillingdon and what if elected what would you hope to champion?
According to residents and local reports, the biggest issues in the London Borough of Hillingdon include a severe shortage of affordable housing and high homelessness rates, rising antisocial behavior and concerns over high-density, low-quality Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). People are also concerned about the state of the Council’s finances and the Heathrow expansion.
I would certainly champion a more robust Policing policy as this, in my opinion, would do a lot to alleviate many problems people are concerned about. The politicians have massively let down the Police who have been unable to carry out their jobs properly. They should be supported, backed and encouraged to proactively police our communities to make them safer.
Additionally, I’m passionate about a sense of community so affordable housing with priority given to Hillingdon residents is also high on my list. Cheaper housing is also an SDP policy which we have been championing for years.
“I’m passionate about a sense of community so affordable housing with priority given to Hillingdon residents is also high on my list”
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
With local elections in large parts of the country in May, we speak with Bernard Giltrap, SDP candidate for Earlsdon ward in Coventry.
“Residents are tired of seeing our local heritage neglected, our basic services failing, and major changes being imposed on our streets without proper consultation”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
I’m Bernard Giltrap, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for Earlsdon in Coventry. I decided to run because I am deeply frustrated by the complacency of the current Labour run council and the lack of genuine accountability. Residents are tired of seeing our local heritage neglected, our basic services failing, and major changes being imposed on our streets without proper consultation. I wanted to offer a community focused alternative that actually listens to the people who live and work here.
“we need a council that actually protects Earlsdon Street”
You’re the candidate for Earlsdon Ward, Coventry. What are the main concerns in the area?
There are four major issues I want to focus on:
Earlsdon Street: Earlsdon Street is being dragged down by derelict sites. Over a year ago, the front of a historic building (the old NatWest) was demolished without permission in our Conservation Area. The council is using a planning appeal as an excuse to do the bare minimum, leaving a scaffolded eyesore. I am demanding the council launch an immediate criminal prosecution. Earlsdon Street (a main shopping area) has lost a lot of its independent traders and variety of shops over the years, and we need a council that actually protects Earlsdon Street.
Fly tipping: We have a serious problem with illegal dumping in communal bins and rear entries, creating genuine public health and pest control hazards near our homes and restaurants.
Crime & ASB: There has been a concerning rise in vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour, particularly around local car parks. Residents shouldn’t be losing vehicles from their own streets.
Transport & Road Closures: I’ll demand a review of the Liveable neighbourhood scheme with real resident Input.
“I hope to champion transparency and accountability. I want to back our local independent businesses, protect our community assets….”
What do you see as the major issues more widely in Coventry and if elected what do you hope to champion?
More widely across Coventry, the major issue is a fundamental disconnect between the council and the taxpayers. Whether it’s the chaotic rollout of traffic schemes, the failure to protect our local heritage from reckless developers, or basic services like street cleaning and reliable public transport falling by the wayside, the council has stopped getting the basics right.
If elected, I hope to champion transparency and accountability. I want to back our local independent businesses, protect our community assets, and ensure that local people have the final say on what happens to their neighbourhoods.
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
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Join Benjamin Elks of the TaxPayers’ Alliance (champions of lower taxes and smarter government) and Alastair Mellon of the Social Democratic Party (advocates for a strong, patriotic state) for a discussion on how we achieve genuine, sustainable economic growth.
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On Jan 5th, the SDP issued the following Press Release:
“It is now public knowledge that Labour plotted to make this momentous change behind voters’ backs by abusing the Private Members’ Bill process”
The SDP recognises Assisted Dying as a conscience issue. However, if it is to be introduced it must be done so humanely, with utmost precaution and with well-funded alternatives in place. To our regret – and in a process that amounts to an affront to democracy – the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has failed to attain the necessary standard for legislation of this importance.
It is now public knowledge that Labour plotted to make this momentous change behind voters’ backs by abusing the Private Members’ Bill process. As a result of this subterfuge, in place of the thoroughgoing processes on which Government Bills run, they have relied on the inadequate vehicle of a Private Members Bill. It has veered through Parliament with naive drafting, partisan sponsorship, and with reckless disregard for the impact on the values and integrity of the NHS, its staff and wider networks of caring and safeguarding.
“The extensions to eligibility for Assisted Dying seen in other jurisdictions might arise in Britain at the mere stroke of a Minister’s pen – a bleak and anti-democratic prospect”
Professional associations of those who work in these end-of-life situations and know how vulnerable those affected can be – from elder charities to coroners – have almost unanimously objected to the way this Bill handles the key issues. Their constructive suggestions have been set aside and disregarded.
In place of firm guard rails in law, this Bill leaves far too much to the whim of any existing or future Secretary of State. The extensions to eligibility for Assisted Dying seen in other jurisdictions might arise in Britain at the mere stroke of a Minister’s pen – a bleak and anti-democratic prospect.
The Government must finally accept that this is a wholly inappropriate approach for such a weighty matter. End-of-Life healthcare is a strategic, structural issue, not simply a question of individual autonomy. There is no true choice for individuals so long as the only alternative to early death is the inhumanity and neglect experienced by many senior citizens. This shameful little Bill sheds our social duties and shrugs off responsibility for caring for our most vulnerable fellow citizens. It satisfies neither those who favour nor those who oppose a right to euthanasia.
If Assisted Dying is ever to be brought into law in Britain it must be done so with requisite deliberation, proper consideration and with all of the necessary safeguards in place. The approach chosen and promoted by the government is demonstrably failing to achieve any of these and must be abandoned.
“This shameful little Bill sheds our social duties and shrugs off responsibility for caring for our most vulnerable fellow citizens”
The budget again confirmed the Labour Governments plan to introduce a Digital ID system, at a staggering provisionally forecast cost of £1.8billion. Below is the SDP Press Release from September which sums up many of the condemnations of these plans.
“Existing “right to work” checks are more than sufficient to stop the employment of illegal aliens. The government should instead crackdown on black market and gig economy firms”
William Clouston, SDP Leader:
“The SDP is the party of the patriotic state. We accept that sometimes individual liberties must be balanced against collective goods. But what collective good does digital ID solve? It does not solve the challenge of illegal migration – which is a problem only due to weak elites that refuse to use the tools they already have.
“Instead, I believe this new digital ID scheme is a desperate move by a teetering government to keep key backers of the Starmer government on-side. Big tech firms, and the sinister interest groups that have benefitted from their largesse, are turning the screws to force an expensive, insecure, and pointless digital ID system on the public while the political opportunity still remains. It must be rejected.”
London (26 September 2025) – The Social Democratic Party (SDP), Britain’s party of the patriotic state, opposes the government’s planned digital ID system – on four main grounds.
First, the SDP rejects the claim that such a system is necessary to reduce illegal migration. Existing “right to work” checks are more than sufficient to stop the employment of illegal aliens. The government should instead crackdown on black market and gig economy firms that fail to enforce existing right to work checks. Such a crackdown, paired with the detention and deportation of all illegal arrivals into Britain, would end the crisis of illegal migration.
Secondly, rather than being in the interests of the British people, the planned digital ID system exists to further the interests of multinational technology firms. The main domestic champion of digital ID, the Tony Blair Institute, has received several millions of pounds in donations since 2021 from Larry Ellison, co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle. Oracle may be a vendor for much of the enterprise database software that will underpin the government’s digital ID system.
“the system’s implementation will represent a wealth transfer in the order of tens of billions of pounds from the British people to Silicon Valley software firms”
Thirdly, the new digital ID system represents a blatant attempt at state capture by big tech. As constituted, the system’s implementation will represent a wealth transfer in the order of tens of billions of pounds from the British people to Silicon Valley software firms and contractors. The digital ID system will also grant big tech unprecedented access to vast amounts of data on the British public, allowing significant opportunities for profit at our collective expense.
Finally, the planned digital ID system is a security risk of unprecedented proportions. One Login, the existing system which will underpin the digital ID scheme, is riddled with fundamental security flaws. Many of the contractors for One Login have not undergone basic security vetting, with much of the development having been outsourced to Romania. Internal simulations of a cyberattack have shown that One Login can be commandeered by external actors to produce fake IDs, shut down the system nation-wide, and steal the IDs of millions of British citizens.
“The digital ID system will also grant big tech unprecedented access to vast amounts of data on the British public”
We spoke with Adam before the recent local elections when he was a candidate for the SDP in the Totteridge and Bowerdean ward of High Wycombe, for Buckinghamshire Council. We catch-up with him for his tales from the campaign trail.
“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who came up to High Wycombe to support me, especially since it’s an absolute hike to campaign in my ward”
You ran in the elections in May. Looking back what is your main memory of the campaign?
The feeling of achievement when I finished leafleting, my feet were killing me, I had one volunteer left and we’d just put through my last leaflet, and I was just so happy to have managed to reach my goal of covering the whole ward in SDP leaflets. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who came up to High Wycombe to support me, especially since it’s an absolute hike to campaign in my ward (It’s not called High Wycombe for no reason!)
The seat was won by Wycombe Independent’s and has received some press coverage. Did you have much interaction with other candidates or parties during the campaign?
My ward was a battleground between the Liberal Democrats and the Wycombe Independents with the occasional Labour sign. The Conservatives and Reform were non-existent and didn’t even turn up to the count. I interacted with all three of the other parties who actually turned up and put some work in and I got on very well with all of them.
The thing about local elections is that they all wanted to improve our local area, they just differed on how that should be done, so I appreciated the camaraderie.
The Lib Dems in particular were very kind to me, and they actually stood up for me online! I got a lot of abuse and harassment from Reform voters on Facebook but the Lib Dems and some of the other Buckinghamshire Independents supported me in my comment section. The abuse from Reform supporters was a bit of an eye-opener for me. As a party we get a lot of comments about how we should work with them or alternatively, merge, however after what I experienced I am disinclined towards that now.
“I only received one comment on the doorstop about Gaza, and I responded with SDP policy, that the issues in the Middle East won’t be solved in Buckinghamshire”
Do you have any funny stories or interesting encounters from campaigning?
I received a vaguely threatening email from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in High Wycombe about signing their petition to force Buckinghamshire Council to disinvest from Israeli companies. I ignored it because I don’t engage in sectarian politics that has nothing to do with our local area, however, because I did so, my name and picture appeared in red in a video that the PSC produced, so that was an interesting experience!
I only received one comment on the doorstop about Gaza, and I responded with SDP policy, that the issues in the Middle East won’t be solved in Buckinghamshire and that we take a pro-British foreign policy outlook. I also ended up quoting Treebeard from Lord of the Rings at the gent who asked me the question – “I am on nobody’s side, because nobody is on my side” and he actually went from being a bit aggressive about the issue to then nodding, saying fair enough and asking me about potholes and the police!
What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a candidate?
If anyone is tired of the situation in our nation and wants to try and improve things, but is scared to take a stance, don’t be. There’s a buildup and an almost fearful atmosphere about being a candidate, and the day before my first leafletting activity I was actively terrified of what I would face. However, with the support from both my partner and my party I managed to get out and face it, and I found that actually it wasn’t too bad! It’s quite an enjoyable experience and makes you feel like you -can- make a difference.
“Now it’s all about long term growth and building up the party infrastructure in High Wycombe”
What are your hopes now for your involvement in politics, for Totteridge and Bowerdean, for High Wycombe, and for Buckinghamshire?
I received 34 votes in the election, not an amazing result by any margin but I was only 96 votes behind the Conservatives, so I’ll take that. Now it’s all about long term growth and building up the party infrastructure in High Wycombe. This town is crying out for competent leadership and investment in its future, and I believe that the SDP can provide that, we just need to grow our membership in the area.
I have also started up a full-time position within the party as it’s Campaigns Organiser, I will be working on the ground across the country to help improve our chances of winning elections and providing this country with a genuine alternative political choice. Reform have shown that they don’t have the ability to maintain a coherent policy or governmental position and I worry that as time goes on, all of the councils that flipped to them will struggle to function.
The SDP is on the rise, it’ll take time and a lot of hard work, but it will be worth it and we will break through. We have to, the country and our very future depends on it.
David Bettney is the SDP candidate for Mayor of Doncaster. We spoke with David about his decision to stand.
“I am a former Regimental Sergeant Major who served 22 years in the British Army, and for the last 15 years I have been building and running successful companies”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
My name is David Bettney, and I am a former Regimental Sergeant Major who served 22 years in the British Army, and for the last 15 years I have been building and running successful companies (Construction, Logistics & Security) in the Middle East, employing over 350 people.
I decided to run for Doncaster Mayor, as I ran as South Yorkshire Mayor last year, and I came 3rd in the Doncaster area, beating the Lib Dems and Green’s vote combined.
“my top priority is to generate well paying jobs, to give Doncaster a much needed cash injection”
You’re the candidate for Mayor of Doncaster. What are the main concerns in the area?
There are many concerns, with freezing pensioners and antisocial behaviour, being very high up on the list (and I have a school’s program, to go into the schools and talk to the kids, about how I, and others from disadvantaged backgrounds, achieved a lot in the forces with the right mentors, and how can play a huge part in making our city a great place to live). But my top priority is to generate well paying jobs, to give Doncaster a much needed cash injection.
“We have become a giant NGO, without asking the people first, if they actually want to sponsor the world’s inhabitants to come here”
What do you see as the major issues more widely that if election you would use the profile of the role to champion?
The wider issues would be to use the platform to stop the invasion on the South coast, and remove anybody here illegally, just the same as British citizens face when abroad if they have incorrect or no paperwork. We have become a giant NGO, without asking the people first, if they actually want to sponsor the world’s inhabitants to come here and live on our small island!
It’s simple, we either choose to use the law or we become lawless 🙁
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
Paul Murphy is the SDP candidate in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election being held on May 1st. We spoke with Paul about his decision to stand.
“I care deeply about the constituency and the country and believe that together we can end the indifference that exists within our political system”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run again?
I was born and raised in Bradford, West Yorkshire, but have lived in Cheshire for the last 10 years. I’ve now lived in Ashton Hayes for 3 years with my wife, daughter and 2 dogs.
I’m not a career politician; I’ve worked in IT as a Product Manager for 22 years. I’ve spent the majority of that time focusing on finding out what people want, then working to deliver it.
As a typical no-nonsense Yorkshireman, I can assure you that with me what you see is what you get. I care deeply about the constituency and the country and believe that together we can end the indifference that exists within our political system.
I decided to stand again for very similar reasons to why I stood last time, people deserve the opportunity to have a real say in the running of the country, something that they do not get considering how similar the two major parties are.
“From the need for well-paying industrialised jobs, to the erosion of the basic services that we all rely on – we can all see that the UK is heading in the wrong direction”
What do you see as the major local concerns for residents in the constituency?
The main concerns haven’t changed since the general election, people feel that the government is out of touch and have a general indifference to the daily lives for their constituents. From the need for well-paying industrialised jobs, to the erosion of the basic services that we all rely on – we can all see that the UK is heading in the wrong direction, and I feel that the SDP is best placed to get the country back on track.
“The reindustrialisation of the UK economy is the area that would be my main goal in parliament”
If elected, what national issues do you hope to champion?
The reindustrialisation of the UK economy is the area that would be my main goal in parliament. The country will simply be unable to grow until we start to produce things for ourselves.
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
Adam Williams is the SDP candidate for Totteridge and Bowerdean in May’s Buckinghamshire Council elections. We spoke with Adam about his decision to stand.
“my standing is an investment in the future of our town. I want to see it succeed for my children and their children after them”
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us what made you decide to run?
My name is Adam Williams, I’m 27 years old and originally from the West Midlands. I’ve set up shop in Buckinghamshire and I am putting down roots in Wycombe. I’ve decided to run because I believe that High Wycombe offers a lot of potential for young people and their families, and my standing is an investment in the future of our town. I want to see it succeed for my children and their children after them.
I’m standing for the Social Democratic Party as the party of the traditional left. We’re culturally conservative and left leaning on economics. We seek the common good of the British people. We believe in a social market economy, the family, the fraternity of the British nation and aim to provide a political party for those who have given up on the current batch in Parliament and are looking for a hopeful alternative.
“Windrush Drive has appalling potholes, the Red Kite council estate is in disrepair and the tenants are not looked after properly”
You’re the candidate for Totteridge and Bowerdean. What are the main concerns in the area?
Windrush Drive has appalling potholes, the Red Kite council estate is in disrepair and the tenants are not looked after properly, the London Road is used a racetrack at times, and we have major issues with speeding. We’re seeing a rise in major crime events, just the other day the train station had police surrounding it, as well as minor ones such as fly tipping, making the area feel dirty and unsafe.
“I would push for the construction of data centres in Iver and Wycombe in order to facilitate economic growth in the county”
What do you see as the major issues more widely across Buckinghamshire, and if elected, what do you hope to champion?
The major issues across Buckinghamshire and what will I champion are:
Drug Crime and associated disorder
Pressures the council budget faces from unfunded mandates
Economic growth – more jobs in the county rather than being a stop over for London commuters, in particular low and medium skill jobs.
Housing for young people
I would push for the construction of data centres in Iver and Wycombe in order to facilitate economic growth in the county, and in my ward in particular I would be focusing on anti-social behaviour, such as littering, fly tipping and speeding, pressuring the council to carry out much needed road repair and advocating for a restoration of the Red Kite council housing to properly suit the tenants needs.
“We seek the common good of the British people. We believe in a social market economy, the family, the fraternity of the British nation”
How can people find out more or get involved in the campaign?
