The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced Tim O'Rourke as its parliamentary candidate for Hazel Grove. 

Mr O'Rourke will contest the seat for the SDP at the next general election. It will be the first time the SDP has contested Hazel Grove. 

Speaking of his selection, Mr O'Rourke said in The Croydon Constitutionalist (CC): "Hazel Grove is close to where I live, and I have many friends there and have spent a lot of time in the constituency."

Now retired, Mr O'Rourke has worked in the private and public power sectors. He spoke in CC on how he became interested in politics. 

"I started becoming interested in politics and the way it seemed to be becoming more distant from the views and needs of ordinary members of our society", he said. 

"I had always voted Labour, but I increasingly felt they were losing sight of what was really important to people and were becoming increasingly ideologically captured. 

"The SDP's New Declaration [...] was for me the ideal mix of left wing economics combined with a great respect for pride in our country and the need for a strong sovereign state and control of our borders. 

"The laws that govern us are made by people we can ultimately remove at the ballot box should we need to.  

"I had also directly seen the effects of de-industrialisation, which is what happens when you don't care where you source goods from as long as you get the cheapest price."

The SDP describes itself as "a patriotic, economically left-leaning and culturally traditional party".

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