Being a candidate for a minor party, in the local elections, standing for the very first time, will bring with it a whole range of emotions. It will be exciting, daunting, frustrating, hopeless, inspiring, exhausting and fill you with pride; sometimes all at the same time. But standing up to be counted, for your family, for your community and for your nation, is one of the most rewarding and brave things you can do.
This is the second election I have stood in for the SDP, following the 2024 GE. And whilst I had learned a little from that experience, it was still quite the learning experience. We are (currently) a small party, and along with that comes the necessity of driving things forward yourself, with limited support. You will have to learn and do things you have probably never done before; who knew I was a dab hand at graphic design and making leaflets? Well, I didn’t until I created my own personalised leaflet for this campaign. Honestly don’t worry if you don’t know how to do something, you will quickly learn while on the campaign trail and whilst we are small, there is a wealth of knowledge in other members, just reach out and there will be someone who can help. I had 8 members turn out to help with leafleting including the party leader, William.
I had very little expectation going into this election, but amazingly, I got 6.6% of the vote – the best result for the SDP in any election in 2025. The other candidate’s elections materials that they put out even directly addressed some of the points I had made in my leaflets, providing the very real impact I had on the election, even if I didn’t win. Sadly, work and life got in the way of me making even more of an effort during this election, but it gives a great foundation for myself or another member to run in this ward in 2029, and in the region more generally.
The most surprising part of my campaign was while out leafletting. I saw parts of my town that I rarely go into, all those little side streets that you never walk down. And it was proof positive for me why the country needs us, not just the SDP but passionate, caring community champions. To shine a light on our communities, to make things better, to bring back pride and prosperity to our country.
I hope you all seriously consider standing up to be counted the next chance you get, or help out someone else who is. It doesn’t matter if you don’t win, it’s a step on a path that will eventually get us there. It is moving us all forward, it is getting more involved and invested in your community and most importantly it proves that there are still people who care about our green and pleasant land, and that it is worth fighting for.
Mathew Wilkinson
North East Treasurer
