A PARTY founded over 40 years ago that aimed to ‘break the mould’ of British politics is standing candidates in North and East Yorkshire.

Among them is Bridlington shopkeeper and jewellery designer Carlo Verda, an SDP town councillor for Bridlington North, who is the party’s candidate for Bridlington and the Wolds.

The new constituency stretches from the East Coast, westwards to just east of Pocklington and Stamford Bridge, but including Driffield and Market Weighton.

Electoral Calculus sees it as a three-way marginal, with their predicted winner fluctuating between Labour, Conservative and Reform UK, with just a few points separating them.

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Carlo told the Press: “For 40 years, I've been a self-employed craftsman mainly working with Sterling Silver. I was born in Birmingham, met my wife in London, and just over 20 years ago we moved to Bridlington with our two young children to be closer to family, now, living above our shop on the High Street in Old Town, we feel deeply rooted in our community.

“While my wife entered teaching, I became involved in what at the time seemed an exciting local regeneration project. We were not politically active, but looking back it’s clear that, as with a lot of other people, we were increasingly disheartened that those who were in positions of influence and power over our community, were incapable of solving problems and ignored the vast amount of knowledge, experience and common sense of the local population in favour of consultants.”

After meeting with a number of members, including leader William Clouston, Carlo joined the Social Democratic Party.

Carlo said: “First and foremost, they struck me as decent people and only then as reluctant politicians out to champion common sense. Following in their footsteps I became a Town Councillor, hoping to provide the change people are telling me they want to see.”

Today’s SDP differs from that of the 1980s, with it more socially conservative and economically left-of-centre.

(Image: pic supplied)

Party leader William Clouston told the Press: “We are the only party where most of the British public agree with most of our policies.”

This includes bringing water, rail and the utilities back into public ownership, gaining control of our borders and ending mass migration.

It also aims to solve the housing crisis with “strong policies” including creating a British Housing Corporation to build 100,000 social homes a year.

“We have common sense answers to common sense questions like, ‘What is a woman?’”

The SDP is contesting 122 seats nationally and claims a ‘booming membership’ of several thousand, with it also having three city councillors in Leeds. In some areas it has an arrangement with Reform UK, with either party standing aside to help the other.

William added: “We are very optimistic. We are all enjoying the campaign.”

Thomas Foster, the SDP candidate for Scarborough and Whitby did not respond to our requests for comment.

The other candidates for Bridlington and the Wolds are: Maria Bowtell (Reform UK), Sarah Carter (Labour), Tom Cone (Ind), Charlie Dewhirst (Con), Gill Lek (Green), Tim Norman (Yorkshire) and Jayne Phoenix (Lib Dem).