When your party has just published its first manifesto in 37 years, it's perhaps no surprise one election candidate admits the reaction on the doorstep is often "are you guys still going?"

But Maya Severyn, standing for the Social Democratic Party in the newly-created, cross-border Waveney Valley constituency, insists the party is on the up.

Maya Severyn, SDP candidate for Waveney ValleyMaya Severyn, SDP candidate for Waveney Valley (Image: Maya Severyn)

Ms Severyn is one of 123 candidates the Social Democratic Party is fielding at the General Election, up from 20 in 2019.

READ MORE: What are the Norfolk and Suffolk election boundary changes?

The original SDP was founded in 1981 by the so-called 'gang of four' - Roy Jenkins, David Owen, William Rodgers and Shirley Williams, disenchanted ex-Labour cabinet members.

Dr David Owen at the launch of the SDP in 1981Dr David Owen at the launch of the SDP in 1981 (Image: Press Association)

The party merged with the Liberal Party in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats, but the current SDP formed in 1990.

Ms Severyn said: "There are two things I hear from everybody on the doorstep - the first is 'are you guys still going?' and then 'I'm not going to vote for anybody - they are all awful'.

"My answer to that is, quite simply, you have to vote or you will just get more of the same."

The new Waveney Valley constituency takes in parts of Norfolk such as Diss, Bunwell and Harleston and areas of Suffolk, including Bungay and Eye.

READ MORE: Norfolk and Waveney General Election 2024 candidate list

Bungay is in the new Waveney Valley constituencyBungay is in the new Waveney Valley constituency (Image: Mike Page)

Ms Severyn, who works as a project manager, described the SDP as "socially from the right and economically from the left, but I'd say the most important thing is common sense".

The party's local priorities include stopping the plans for miles of pylons in the constituency, boosting the High Street in towns like Diss and improving transport links.

Diss is in the newly formed Waveney Valley constituencyDiss is in the newly formed Waveney Valley constituency (Image: Sonya Duncan)

Ms Severyn is a serving Bungay town councillor, is pro-nuclear power and against agricultural land being used for solar farms.

A Brexit supporter, Ms Severyn said: "If I win, I wouldn't have an office. My car would be my office and I'd take it round the towns and villages, to stand in front of people and talk about the issues."

Other candidates in Wensum Valley are Scott Huggins (Reform UK), Dr Gurpreet Padda (Labour), Adrian Ramsay (Green), Richard Rout (Conservative) and John Shreeve (Liberal Democrat).

The nation goes to the polls on Thursday, July 4.