General Election: “I’ll work hard for everybody" says Social Democratic Party candidate for Mid Bedfordshire

Richard Brunning said people need to stand up and take action for what they think is right.

“It is easy to snipe from the sidelines, it’s easy to complain and get on your high horse about this and that, and all the other bits and pieces,” he said.

“But unless you actually put your name forward, put your hat in the ring and give it a go, then you’ve got nothing to complain about. You might want to change things, but unless you’re in a position to do so it’s just hot air.

“So that’s the reason I’m standing,” he said.

Brunning said he has lived in the constituency since 2010/11, and his daughters were born and have grown up in Mid Beds.

He added that he hasn’t been “parachuted in” to fight for the seat.

“When you’re at a general election, I think the idea that you’re selecting or voting for a PM is prevalent,” he said “You’re not, you’re voting for your constituent MP and it’s the constituent MP that helps the people in their constituents.

“Having somebody that’s from the area and listens to the area’s concerns, as opposed to what the party might think are the concerns, is something I’m very keen to do. So to support the local businesses, support the local area, support the schools.

“To be a constituent MP first and foremost, as opposed to a party MP which is currently the case for lots of people,” he said.

“I’m a local candidate for local people. I’m not a PPE [politics, philosophy and economics] graduate, I’m not a university graduate.

“I’m just a bloke who has business and has ideas about how to make the. country better and the constituency better.

“And I think having more real people in the commons would break up the monopoly of what is perceived to be as people who don’t necessarily represent the people.

“I think our representatives have become unrepresentative.

“I’ll work hard for everybody. I’ll do whatever I possibly can, even though I know the SDP is unlikely to get a majority, so it’s going to be more difficult.

“But at the same time, real change is only affected by people who want to change it. So that’s my offer to Mid Beds,” he said.

The SDP is a “continuation” of the political party formed from the “Gang of Four” (Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers, and Shirley Williams) in 1981.

Re-established in 1990, the SDP says it is a “patriotic, economically left-leaning, and culturally traditional political party”.

The other candidates for Mid Bedfordshire are:

Dave Holland – Reform UK

Gareth Mackey – Independent

Maahwish Mirza – Labour

Stuart Roberts – Liberal Democracts

Cade Sibley – Green Party

Blake Stephenson – Conservatives

The election will be held on July 4.