Category: SDP

Tim Burt is the SDP prospective candidate for Maidenhead.  We spoke with Tim about his decision to stand.

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I was born in Chichester before moving to Stamford Lincolnshire where I went to school.  After graduating from Nottingham University in mathematics I moved into the telecommunications industry, initially as a software engineer and later in a variety of operational roles.  I have been a resident of Maidenhead for 33 years where I live with my long term partner Jayne. I am now retired and looking to contribute back to the local community.

What made you decide to stand for the SDP?

I had found myself feeling increasingly politically homeless.  The Labour party has turned its back on traditional working people in favour of adherence to divisive identity politics, whereas the Conservatives have achieved very little over the last 13 years and have merely presided over the continuing decline of the country. Once I read the SDP’s New Declaration expounding their values, with their combination of progressive economic policies with support for the traditional values of the country, these immediately chimed with me.

I now believe that it is important to play my part in getting the message out to the country that there is a real alternative.

You’re the Spokesman for Maidenhead what’s made you decide to represent this area?

As a long time resident of Maidenhead I feel very lucky to live in such an area of natural beauty and  want to do what I can to assure the future of our town and surrounding villages. I want to give the people of Maidenhead a real choice in how they vote at the next general election.

What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?

Maidenhead is currently undergoing major development as part of its borough local plan (BLP). Although there is an urgent need nationally for more housing, it is important to ensure that such developments are appropriate to their environment and meet the needs of their residents. In Maidenhead there is a need for more quality family housing rather than the ever expanding development of high rise flats in the town. Affordable housing is also a major issue, something that the SDP looks to address in its manifesto policies.

For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?

The SDP is a growing party, but local membership still currently remains very modest. We need any local residents who are attracted by the SDP’s message to assist in any way they can, whether that be leafletting, spreading the message at street stalls or just putting up a poster at election time. Anyone interested in helping can contact me at [email protected].

Kyn Pomlett is the SDP prospective candidate for Didcot and Wantage, in Oxfordshire.  We spoke with Kyn about his decision to stand.

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I am retired and have been married for 40 years. I was born in the West Midlands and lived in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. I have worked and studied in the fields of Electronic Engineering, Software Engineering and Project Management.

I have lived in Cholsey in South Oxfordshire for 30 years and I was a Cholsey Parish Councillor for 3 years.

What made you decide to stand for the SDP?

I joined the SDP in July 2020. I had been disillusioned by the 3 main parties for a long time and I was actively seeking a political home. I was drawn to the SDP through its pragmatic policies and focus on the family, community, and nation.

I want a government that thinks of Britain as a home, not a business or a charity, which is not indifferent to the aspirations and welfare of the residents of these islands.

You’re the Spokesman for Didcot & Wantage what’s made you decide to represent this area?

I have lived in the Didcot and Wantage constituency for 30 years and I honestly believe I live in one of the best areas of Britain. I know we can do better for the people in this area than the present national and local representatives. 

What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?

My key concerns for the area are housing, health provision and local democracy.

The cost of local housing is extremely high, is of low quality and of high density. This has resulted in an urban city sprawl on the 3 market towns; this in an area that is predominately rural. We need new homes to be built; they must be appropriate and sensitive to the rural context and needs of the community.

The development of infrastructure is lagging the new builds in the area. This has contributed to the shortage of GPs, struggling utility and transport provision.

There is a deficit of local democracy as the authorities are unrelenting in their unquestioned application of Net Zero policies. These are starting to impact the community in terms of transport, road and verge maintenance, and low traffic neighbourhoods.

For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?

The Social Democratic Party offer a real alternative. A vote for me is a vote to end the indifference of politicians and to put people in Didcot and Wantage back in control.

If you would like to raise any issues in our area or would like to help and support me, please contact me on [email protected], please also follow me on Twitter.

Andrew Davis is the SDP prospective candidate for Winchester.  We spoke with Andrew about his decision to stand.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

I would encourage people to contact me at [email protected] and follow me on Facebook at SDP Mid Bucks Yvonne Wilding, and on Twitter @YvonneWilding.

You can also hear Yvonne on LBC telling why she won’t vote for the 3 main parties.

Adam Hibbert is the SDP prospective candidate for Sevenoaks.  We spoke with Adam about his decision to stand.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.