Steve Tanner, SDP candidate, Wayfield and Weeds Wood ward, Medway Council.

The SDP is a patriotic, economically left-leaning, and culturally traditional political party. We’ve interviewed Steve Tanner who is standing for them in the Wayfield and Weeds Wood ward of Medway Council.

“The SDP ticked all the right boxes for me: traditional and patriotic; believing that public assets and services should be owned by the public”

Tell us a bit about yourself and your party?

An IT professional, I moved to England from Australia in 2005, starting off in London as most do, before meeting my now wife who lured me to the exotic Medway Valley. We have lived in our current house in Wayfield for over twelve years, raising four children, the youngest two of which are still in secondary education locally.

I joined the Social Democratic Party in May 2022 after several years of checking them out. Although politically interested, I’ve never been politically active – let alone joined a party – until recently. The SDP ticked all the right boxes for me: traditional and patriotic; believing that public assets and services should be owned by the public; and its belief that increased housebuilding can only be sustainable with a much-reduced immigration limit.

“concerns specifically in the ward are the reduced bus services and under-provision of primary health services, and if elected to Medway Council I would endeavour to gain improvements in both areas”

Can you introduce the ward to us and what you can bring to the area?

Wayfield and Weeds Wood is a new ward created for the 2023 local elections after a recent boundary review. The area is generally working-class, attractive for many young families with its numerous primary and secondary schools, parks and open spaces, and also has quite a large elderly population. There is a substantial amount of social housing, which does help to allow extended family members to stay in the area.

My main concerns specifically in the ward are the reduced bus services and under-provision of primary health services, and if elected to Medway Council I would endeavour to gain improvements in both areas for our residents.

“At the local level, there are likely to be many areas of consensus anyway, but it would be great to have more smaller parties and independents represented on council”

More widely what would you like to see change at the Council and across the area?

In addition to improving the provision of bus and primary health services across Medway, as well as in my own ward, my other priorities if elected will be to help get the lapsed local plan back on track, and to improve the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services in school. Medway, like all parts of the country, desperately needs more housing, but planning approval must be sympathetic to the concerns of existing residents, and not at the expense of our special green spaces. And closer to my heart, having a child with learning difficulties, I would certainly like to see the access to, and quality of SEND services enhanced.

Even after an extremely successful election for us, we would still only have two councillors so would have to work closely with the party in control and the other opposition parties and individuals to achieve anything meaningful. At the local level, there are likely to be many areas of consensus anyway, but it would be great to have more smaller parties and independents represented on council.

How can people find out more or get in touch if they want to get involved?

We have a comprehensive suite of policies on our website at sdp.org.uk. I’d recommend anyone interested to read through them along with our ‘New Declaration’, also on the site. Joining the party as either a full or associate member is very affordable.

I am the chair of the SDP Medway and Maidstone Group. We meet on the last Saturday of each month, usually in a pub in south Rochester. We would welcome existing and prospective members to attend, even from outside the area. Details of each meeting are posted from my Twitter account: @SteveTanner_SDP.

If you wish to contact me at a more official level, my email address is: [email protected]

Stephen Gander, SDP candidate for Hellingly Parish Council, and Hailsham West ward of Wealden District Council

The SDP is a patriotic, economically left-leaning, and culturally traditional political party. We spoke with Stephen Gander who is standing for them for Hellingly Parish Council, and in the Hailsham West ward of Wealden District Council.

“The majority of people would look at the SDP’s policies and agree with the majority, if not all of them. I think the electorate should really have a look and ‘give them a go’.”

Tell us a bit about yourself and your party?

I’ve lived in Hellingly for the past twelve years and Wealden for over 25 years. My wife is a successful, local independent swimming teacher and both my boys go to school in Hailsham. As a family we like to support local events including helping the local community fridge and would like to say that we have a good relationship with the local council and its members. I ran as a candidate in the 2019 General Election in Eastbourne.

I joined the SDP in early 2020 as most of the other partys didn’t reflect where I wanted to be and it was the only party that had common sense policies that sat well with my core beliefs. The SDP believe in the family and the local community seeking the common good in Britain’s national interest. The majority of people would look at the SDP’s policies and agree with the majority, if not all of them. I think the electorate should really have a look and ‘give them a go’.

“there is a need for scrutiny with regards to new developments and its effects on the local community. This issue is very high up on the local and surrounding areas, residents list.”

Can you introduce Hellingly Parish and Hailsham West ward to us and say what you can bring to the area?

Hellingly has grown over the last decade with development of the old hospital site. Life within Hellingly and its country park is both picturesque and calming. There is a great community spirit and a great sense of comradery which I would like to encourage and be more of a part of.

Hailsham is the biggest town in the district of Wealden and is a nice market town with an array of shops and pleasant community standards. I would bring a consistency and a voice to Hailsham and Wealden residents.

Whilst I don’t think there are massive changes needed in the councils, there is a need for scrutiny with regards to new developments and its effects on the local community. This issue is very high up on the local and surrounding areas, residents list.

How can people find out more or get in touch if they want to get involved?

If people wanted to find out more or ask any questions I can be contacted by email at [email protected] , email the SDP at [email protected] and I would suggest checking out the SDP website at sdp.org.uk.

Plans for 2023

With a politically tumultuous 2022 coming to an end, we asked you, ‘What do you hope your organisation will be doing in 2023?’

Steve Kelleher, London Organiser for the SDP

“Every candidate will hold “meet the public” street stalls and other high profile “get to know you” local events”

The London SDP will run monthly meetings and quarterly events with guest speakers. We will also be identifying at LEAST 20 candidates to run in the Next Parliamentary elections. Every candidate will hold “meet the public” street stalls and other high profile “get to know you” local events. The SDP profile and cut through in London should, hopefully, rise with media coverage. We will encourage local agreements and support with other groups and parties where our values and ambitions agree.

The two parties in our FPTP system are NOT fit for the job. They need to be run out of office and true patriotic democracy needs to be restored. London is the best City in the world. We are so lucky to live here. Let’s all get together and organise local people to make 2023 the platform for real change in 2024!

Peter Sonnex, Political Activist

“Trust is a massive issue for me, with a burning distaste for the established and establishment parties in their incompetence: precipitating a cost of lockdown crisis; failing to deliver in the national interest on energy and health, and in their hypocrisy”

2023 – Making Your Mind Up!

Having stood for the Brexit Party in 2019 on conviction, I look forward to seeing which candidates or parties I may support in their convictions in the health, security and prosperity interests of the United Kingdom in the run up to the next General Election…

Trust is a massive issue for me, with a burning distaste for the established and establishment parties in their incompetence: precipitating a cost of lockdown crisis; failing to deliver in the national interest on energy and health, and in their hypocrisy; putting measures in place they are not themselves prepared to follow. Their values are no longer representative of those they should be serving. It’s time for most of them to go.

I shall be watching the Reform Party most closely. They are performing well in recent polls, though that would not yet yield seats in parliament. They also have work to do if they want more engagement from former Brexit Party candidates and supporters, and that is down to trust, too.

Beyond the traditional party politics, I am looking to Reclaim for the culture wars rhetoric on free speech, British values, ID politics, intersectionality and sex-based rights, and to the Together Declaration as they seek to take back democracy – again, championing free speech with open debate over dictate and suppression. Together is going to build a shadow cabinet in the new year to challenge the orthodoxy – across health, economy, energy, housing, defence etc – and increasingly similar government and opposition approaches to ruling over us rather than to serve.

Bending the rules of the game
Will let you find the one you’re looking for
And then you can show that you think you know
You’re making your mind up!

Lorena Serantes, Blogger and Political Scientist

” I will try to focus on interviews regarding the situation in Ukraine at this moment of conflicts between Russia, the EU, NATO and others”

In 2023 I will try to focus on interviews regarding the situation in Ukraine at this moment of conflicts between Russia, the EU, NATO and others, and I’ll probably write a review of the Spanish local elections that are going to take place in May. In fact, I have been interested in getting interviews from Spanish political leaders. There’s not a culture of responding e-mails from researchers or journalists in this country, which contrasts with the high level of answers that I’ve got from British politicians.

Turning to the political context of Spain, Spanish representatives are distinguished by their low profile contributions in Parliament, specially the members of parties such as Podemos on the left side and VOX on the right side. Furthermore, judges interfering in strictly political debates and the impossibility of reforming Francoist institutions that changed nothing but their names, makes it absolutely annoying and toxic, at least for me. I’m a calm person, therefore in my duty as Political Scientist and analyst I prefer the moderation of Conservative-Labour dynamics. Ideologically, that’s another thing. In conclusion, I’ll see what I can do to analyse the Ukraine-Russia conflict from different perspectives, as I always try to do.

“Our main aim is to get candidates in place. We are hoping for 100 by the end of 2023 so we can have a party political broadcast next time”

Sid Cordle MBE, Leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance.

Our main aim is to get candidates in place. We are hoping for 100 by the end of 2023 so we can have a party political broadcast next time. We currently have 20 committed to standing in the next General Election. We also have a training course fixed for January 2023 with a professional trainer and we are hoping for at least 20 new people on that course.

We’re getting more exposure on Christian TV.  I do a weekly interview on Air TV. Our Assembly was broadcast live on LCBN TV for the first time. Maureen Martin (President) goes regularly on Revelation TV. This is also opening doors to speak in churches. We are getting better known and accepted among church leaders. We aim to continue this process and speak in as many churches as possible in 2023

Relationships with the DUP are getting stronger. Ian Paisley Jnr MP spoke at our assembly this year and was just amazing. If you’re interested this was his speech as I say broadcast live. Part3 Christian People Alliance Conference on LCBN TV UK I hope to be a guest speaker at the DUP conference next year at the fringe as a first step. We are also preparing our Assembly for 2023 we plan to hold in Birmingham Sept 29th and 30th

We meet every Monday on zoom to pray and then afterwards review our manifesto a process Tom Rogers is in charge of. We are constantly coming up with new ideas and honing it and improving it. I would like to think that no party has a more comprehensive and well thought out manifesto to deal with the issues the country faces. This gives us a strong basis for campaigning and growing as a party. A weak manifesto is a fatal flaw as a party grows and is almost certain to bring growth to a standstill. 

I should also say we are very open to bringing in Christians from other political parties in 2023. David Campanale was recently removed as a candidate for the Lib Dems in Sutton for being a Christians and for having previously stood for us. Lib Dems sack former BBC journalist in target seat ‘because he is a Christian’ | Politics | News | Express.co.uk So was Robert Flello in Stoke Election candidate deselected by Lib Dems over pro-life and pro-marriage views – The Christian Institute

In 2019 Revelation TV couldn’t find a single Christian in the Lib Dems who was willing to come on their programme for fear of expulsion. The Greens sacked a Councillor who spoke against same sex marriage. Brighton councillor expelled over views on same-sex marriage | ICN (indcatholicnews.com) This sacking was upheld by the parties’ disciplinary committee. 

Keir Starmer’s vow never to visit another church that stands by Biblical teaching is a grave insult to all Christians. Starmer’s Jesus House apology is an insult | The Spectator.

We are the only party positioned to bring Christians together in politics and we aim to further than process in 2023.

On to Part 2

Les Beaumont, SDP candidate Pitshanger Ward, London Borough of Ealing.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) is standing candidates across London in May’s local elections.  We spoke with Les Beaumont who is standing for them in the Pitshanger Ward, London Borough of Ealing.

Les thank-you for your time.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your party?

I joined the SDP a couple of years ago, shortly after I sold my contract cleaning business and retired. I live in the ward in which I am standing for local councillor. Free from vested interests, the Social Democratic Party seeks the common good in Britain’s national interest. We represent neither capital nor labour, not private industry nor the public sector, but only the welfare of the British people and residents of these islands.

“my objective would be to ensure that the council addresses the issues of the people that I represent, be they property owners, private tenants or living in social housing”

You’re standing in the Pitshanger Ward, can you introduce the ward to us and what you can bring to the area?

The ward is predominately made up of owner-occupied and privately rented properties with a social housing estate on its western border. As a local resident with no allegiance to the three largest parties, my objective would be to ensure that the council addresses the issues of the people that I represent, be they property owners, private tenants or living in social housing.

“Ealing Council closed our local swimming pool during the pandemic and then failed to re-open it with the intention of redeveloping the site with massive high-rise tower blocks”

More widely what would you like to see change at Ealing Council and across the borough?

When I speak to people in my local area, these are the main issues most frequently raised:

a) Overdevelopment. Ealing Council has approved and continues to approve, planning applications for high-rise developments that are totally inappropriate to the local area. Some local people say that Ealing Labour councillors appear to have too close a relationship with the main housing developers in the borough.

b) Fly-Tipping. It is far too difficult and expensive to dispose of waste in the borough and the council closed one of its two waste & recycling centres last year.

c) Car Crime. There is an epidemic of catalytic converter theft in the borough.

d) Swimming Pools. Ealing Council closed our local swimming pool during the pandemic and then failed to re-open it with the intention of redeveloping the site with massive high-rise tower blocks.

e) Council Waste. Like many boroughs controlled by Labour, Ealing Council wastes a lot of money on schemes introduced for ideological or party-political reasons that do not benefit the majority of the community.

How can people find out more or get in touch if they want to get involved?

The SDP website is the major resource for our policies and to find out what we stand for. You can also follow the SDP on Facebook and the London branch on Twitter.

Source: Di (they-them) and Berrely, based on source, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Laurence Williams, SDP candidate for Sidcup Ward in the London Borough of Bexley

With local elections fast approaching in London, we interview Laurence Williams the SDP candidate for Sidcup Ward the London Borough of Bexley.

“I would like to see our available housing stock properly utilised across Bexley and an end to the scar of foodbanks”

Tell us a bit about yourself and your party?

I have re-joined the SDP as a result of appearing at the Croydon Constitutionalist hustings in February ’22. The SDP are my political awakening Party from 1981, and I should have remained with them through thick and thin. They are enjoying a good resurgence now thanks to the usual LibLabCon hegemony. This is my 10th local election since 1990! 

You’re standing in Sidcup Ward in the London Borough of Bexley, can you introduce the ward to us and what you can bring to the area?

I am standing in the LB of Bexley’s Sidcup Ward and hope to bring a bit of ‘Zazz’ to our local politics by breaking the cosy tory family affair here!

More widely what would you like to see change at Bexley council and across the borough?

I would like to see our available housing stock properly utilised across Bexley and an end to the scar of foodbanks and poverty in general!

How can people find out more or get in touch if they want to get involved?  

Please get in touch with us at: www.sdp.org.uk

Podcast Episode 67 – 2022 Local Election Hustings

In this episode we bring you the speeches from our recent event held at Clyde Hall in Croydon,

Speakers:

  • David Omamogho – Christian Peoples Alliance
  • Zack Stiling – Heritage Party
  • Gavin Palmer – Independent Candidate for Mayor
  • Laurence Williams – Libertarian Party
  • Steve Kelleher – SDP
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Photo’s from the evening: https://croydonconstitutionalists.uk/hustings-2022-photos/

Press Release: https://croydonconstitutionalists.uk/press-release-hustings-2022/

More info: https://croydonconstitutionalists.uk/hustings-2022/

Hustings 2022 – Photos

Thanks to all who attended our Hustings last night. A tremendous set of candidates with great ideas for Croydon, further afield and our country. We wish them all well in May.

Photos from the night below.

David Omamogho, Christian People Alliance
Zack Stiling, Heritage Party
Gavin Palmer, Independent Candidate for Mayor
Laurence Williams, Libertarian Party
Steve Kelleher, SDP

Podcast Episode 58 – An Effective Opposition! Where will it come from?

We are joined by Steve Kelleher, the recent London Mayoral candidate for the SDP, and Scott Neville, the Co-Founder of the Hampshire Independents, as we discuss the lack of an effective opposition to the current Government and where a future opposition might come from.

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Podcast Episode 56 – Steve Kelleher: Beer Gardens, Mayoral Campaign & Croydon Council Candidates

We are joined by Steve Kelleher, the London Mayoral Candidate for the SDP, as we discuss the opening of Beer Gardens, the London and local election campaigns and the nominations in the 5 Croydon Council By-Elections. We then chat with Steve about the SDP, his Mayoral campaign and his Vision for London.

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Steve can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/stevekSDP and the SDP are online https://sdp.org.uk/

Podcast Episode 50 – Vaccine Rollout, Biden Inauguration, “Levelling Up” and the SDP in Surrey

We are joined by Ian Woodley, the SDP organiser for Surrey, as we discuss the Covid Vaccine Rollout, the Biden Inauguration and the Government’s Levelling Up Agenda. We then chat with Ian about the SDP and their plans in Surrey..

Ian can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/IanWoodley6.  The SDP are online at https://sdp.org.uk/.

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