Eight candidates are standing for election to Parliament to represent the Brighton Pavilion constituency on Thursday 4 July 2024.
The eight candidates are Steve AI (Independent), Siân Berry (Green), Carl Buckfield (SDP), Tom Gray (Labour), Mark Mulvihill (Reform UK), Ashley Ridley (Liberal Democrat), Citizen Skwith (Official Monster Raving Loony) and Sarah Webster (Conservative).
Each candidate answered questions submitted by voters. Here are the answers from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Carl Buckfield, 34, a lecturer in psychology. He tweets @CBuck_SDP.
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Why do you want to be an MP and how are you qualified for the role?
Like most people, I have become disillusioned with our broken political system. There is no choice between the four main parties.
No matter which of them you vote for, you get failed neoliberal economics, indifference, unfettered immigration and contempt towards the “benighted” working class. I was left with no choice but to represent myself.
The SDP share my values and commonsense policies which appeal to most of the country.
I am qualified because I will put the constituents first. I will not be a surrogate decision-maker for them but listen to what they want and take it to Parliament.
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If elected, how would you deal with performance and pricing problems in privatised utilities such as the water companies, railways, energy companies and the Royal Mail?
I would fight for
1) natural monopolies such as railways, water, gas and electricity to be brought under public ownership to help lower bills by profits returning to us.
2) expenditure on heat pumps, insulation, household solar panel systems and double/triple glazing by registered suppliers to be tax-deductible at the basic rate
3) British-built and owned nuclear power stations because, as we saw during the early days of Russia’s war on Ukraine, energy prices sky-rocketed when there was a lack of gas supply
Nuclear energy is the only solution for abundant, clean, safe and cheap energy.
