A socialist candidate challenging the established parties in this year’s general election has pledged to donate most of his wages to local causes if elected.

Trevor Palmer, who lives in Poplars, is representing the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition party in Stevenage in this year’s election on May 7.

If elected, he vows he will only claim the average skilled workers’ wage, around £27,000 per year, out of his £67,000 MP’s salary and donate the rest to support grass roots community and workers’ campaigns.

The technical IT specialist said: “I will be standing to represent my fellow Stevenage citizens who deserve a representative in the Houses of Parliament who will stand up and fight for their interests, not just the interests of those concerned with profit.

“A socialist alternative is available. The United Kingdom is not broke as the bankers’ elite would have us think.

“We do not have to accept cuts in services while the bankers’ bonus bonanza continues and the richest get richer still.

“We believe that trade unions have a great part to play once more in politics, as they become further detached from the party they created a century ago.

“We want to re-engage with ordinary working people as the Labour movement is being distanced from other parties and shackled by cuts enforced upon it. The TUSC is fundamentally opposed to all cuts, the destruction of pay, benefits and public services. We are for public ownership of essential services, for the reversal of privatisation of the NHS and the railways.”

Mr Palmer doesn’t think his party will sweep to power in this year’s election but has compared its rise to that of the anti-austerity party Syriza, who came to power in Greece earlier this year.

He said: “If you look at where Syriza were 10 years ago they were a minnow party. But people got dissatisfied with the ruling parties as they betrayed their roots.

“We’re a party that’s growing and are hoping to build on this year’s election and continually get stronger.

“I’m not expecting to win the election in Stevenage but I hope to make people see there is an alternative to the mainstream parties.”

On other issues Mr Palmer said he thinks the European Union should remain but be reformed into a collection of federal states with greater autonomy.

He added that he thought many politicians used immigration to deflect attention from other issues like tax avoidance.