Candidate Profile: Alexander Bramham – Social Democratic Party

We asked General Election candidate Alexander Bramham (Social Democratic Party) your questions – here’s their candidate profile which answers them.

Candidates may be providing answers before the publication of their party’s manifesto. Therefore, things may develop or be updated after these have been published.

Candidate Details:

• Constituency: Stone, Great Wryley and Penkridge
• Which city/town/village do you live in? : 
• Is it within the constituency boundary of the new seat? (If no, please advise whether you intend to move within the constituency and if so in what timeframe) : 

Personal Background :
Awaiting Response

Political Background :
My political background is grassroots activism, not in elected office. I have presented evidence to a House of Lords committee, appeared on GB News and spoken at women’s rights rallies, council chambers and political conferences.

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Candidate Question:

The new constituency seat is geographically extensive. If you are elected as our MP, how will
you ensure that the town of Stone gets the representation it needs?

Stone is the town where I grew up, live and am proud to call home. I have not been parachuted in from elsewhere nor bankrolled by any corporation. The boundary changes are disappointing and bewildering. Stone has a long history and identity distinct from Great Wyvern and Penkridge which should be celebrated and preserved.

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How will you keep in touch with Stone residents if you are elected as our MP?

Regular e-mail updates and surgeries.

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Why are you standing to be our MP?

Like many in the country, I am disenchanted by the track record and policies of the main political parties. The Conservative party has conserved very little and instead, has put everything up for sale. Labour has abandoned the nation’s working men and women. Successive governments have been powerless in resisting an epidemic of family breakdown which has caused widespread suffering and has harmed the life-chances of millions of children.

Globalisation and the labour mobility driven by the unfettered free market has made it harder for ordinary citizens to raise secure families in the stable communities upon which a healthy society depends. Every family deserves a suitable, affordable home, but no recent government has come close to securing this. Instead, the deliberate destruction of state housebuilding capacity together with mass immigration has created a perfect storm which denies millions a viable route to start a family and unfairly dashes young peoples’ dreams of a home of their own. The SDP believe in urgently reversing this trend by reinvigorating state housebuilding and removing market distortions which prevent housing supply meeting demand.

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How will you address the lack of NHS services in the area? Currently, no local dentists are taking on adult NHS patients, and waiting times for doctors are often measured in weeks – not days.

NHS management and overhead functions will be reduced in cost by 15% in real terms over the lifetime of the parliament, with the savings returned to front line care. The NHS will not fund DEI initiatives or champion any contested political causes.

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What do you see as the biggest threat to High Streets like Stone, and what will you and your party do to ensure it thrives? 

The rise in popularity of online shopping is the biggest threat to the high street. Stone has a distinctive range of independent shops and unique character. I support our farmer’s markets and food and drink festivals. 

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Public transport has declined severely over the past 10 years. Today, no bus services allow residents to get from the estates across Stone into the town centre. Our train service has been severely reduced, meaning fewer trains are going to fewer destinations. What will you and your party do to help re-establish local transport links that will allow residents, workers, and visitors to leave their cars at home?

Nationalisation of railways and increased spending on bus services.

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Since the closure and sale of Stone police station, we haven’t had a visible police presence to investigate or deter crime. What would you do to address this?

Significantly increase resources in front-line policing. Police will have one metric only: the reduction and detection of crime in their neighbourhood.

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The cost-of-living crisis has hit everyone in their pocket. Despite a slowdown in inflation, prices are still significantly higher than a few years ago – and unless we see deflation, they won’t be reducing. What will you and your party do to ensure the electorate feels like their spending power has been restored?

Tackling the housing crisis and nationalisation of energy will reduce the highest burdens on families. Lower rent, mortgage payments and utility bills mean greater spending power despite rising prices.

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 If elected, what would you do to substantially increase the availability of good-quality social housing for rent and affordable properties for first-time buyers?

The SDP will establish a British Housing Corporation (BHC) to oversee and fund the construction of 100,000 social homes per year. In England, the BHC’s mandate will be implemented by newly established County Housing Corporations (CHCs) and in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland by the devolved governments.

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Stone’s roads and pavements are in a terrible state despite regular news reports about additional funding for pothole repairs. How will you ensure that our roads and pavements are safe and suitable for all users? 

This falls within the remit of local councillors not members of parliament.

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Roadworks have had a significant impact over the last few years. While investment is welcome, it seems that companies taking public cash rarely work as quickly as they could – we often see long periods of time with no workers or they have all gone home early in the afternoon. What solutions would you like to see implemented that would ensure that 3^rd party contractors work quickly and efficiently to ensure that roadworks are completed in a timely manner?

SDP policy is that all nationally awarded contracts will include penalties for delays.

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Stone is a rural town; what will you and your party do to support rural businesses and workers?

The SDP will establish a state-run National Development Bank (NDB) to give all UK citizens and businesses a right to basic bank account with guaranteed deposits and fair returns on savings.

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As a canal town and a town with a world-renowned canoeing club, what will you and your party do to ensure that our waterways are well-maintained and free from sewage?

I support the excellent work of the Canal and River Trust and local council. I oppose the dumping of raw sewage into our waterways.

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It feels like politicians focus on the vote-winning older generations. What will you and your party do to support teenagers and young adults who are experiencing issues accessing things like education, jobs and mental health services? 

Restricting the sale and use of smartphones by under-sixteens will improve mental health, academic achievement and connection to the wider community.

The legal age of access to online pornography will be raised to 18 and age verification will be required, via proof of credit/debit card ownership or other accredited age confirmation method.

No child should be told the dangerous lie that they were ‘born in the wrong body’. The SDP oppose the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone injections to under eighteens.

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Most people agree that walking is very beneficial—how can we ensure that our network of rights-of-way is properly maintained and available to all?

The SDP will enhance the public realm in our towns, cities and villages through sensitive planning and development, a zero-tolerance approach to vandalism and graffiti, and by funding local authorities to recruit, train and pay unemployed people to deliver civic improvement projects.

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What will you and your party do to control both legal and illegal immigration?

The SDP will withdraw from the 1951 UN refugee convention, the ECHR and all other international instruments which deny UK border sovereignty. We will promote a new set of international agreements on refugee rights which are fit for purpose, protect genuine refugees and do not facilitate people trafficking and illegality.

We will reduce net migration to 50,000 per annum and promote a generation long ‘mass immigration pause’ in the interests of integration and social cohesion.

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What’s your opinion on the climate crisis? What should individuals and the government do to ensure our children and grandchildren can grow up in a healthy environment?

Overwhelming focus on climate ‘catastrophe’ is fostering anxiety and despair in children. From early years to key stage 3, all children will learn about British wildlife and given opportunities to carry out practical conservation in their local area.

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“Why should I vote for you? All politicians lie and say what they want to get elected.” – How do you respond to this statement?

Churchill put it best: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” Members of Parliament can be recalled by petition or voted out at the following election. I encourage you to use your vote that so many have sacrificed so much to defend and can only hope to surprise you!

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As our MP, how would you ensure that independent publications like A Little Bit of Stone get the support they need? Whether that’s protection from big tech companies scraping our content, suppressing our content or ensuring that public money is available to help create a sustainable business?

The Online Safety Act will be strengthened to better protect the right to freedom of speech and promote personal responsibility. Social Media companies will have a duty to ensure that their strategy for combating misinformation is politically impartial, transparent and compliant with UK law

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If elected, what would be the top five areas on which you’d be concentrating your efforts?
Housing, Family values, Immigration, Policing, Tech Regulation.

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Closing Statement, why should people vote for you?

More information about the Social Democratic Party’s principles and policies can be found on the party’s website. I look forward to taking further questions at upcoming hustings and learning more about the issues facing constituencies. If you have any questions or would like to chat over coffee, I can be reached by direct message to @BramhamAlex on X.

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