Reform UK's Hitchin candidate has promised to invest in public services and mend 'broken Britain' - while calling for Tory candidate Bim Afolami to step aside.

Charles Bunker, 73, is the former Chair of the Hitchin and Harpenden Conservative Association but left the party after becoming "increasingly disillusioned" with their record in government since 2010. 

His background is in banking, and he also served two terms as a non-executive director of the former Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City.

Mr Bunker stood unsuccessfully for the Brexit Party in Bedford at the 2019 General Election, something he describes as a 'salutary and sobering experience'. 

So, why run again, this time under the flag of Reform UK?

He explains that "duty calls", telling the Herts Ad: "Over the last couple of years I've realised that the Conservative Party didn't represent me anymore, and I couldn't bring myself to vote for Labour, so I became a political orphan.

"If there was no party that I could vote for, I had to vote for myself so I realised I needed to be on the ballot paper and Reform UK align with my political views."

He believes that both the Conservatives and Labour have 'broken' the country and believes the time is right for a third party to make an impact, saying: "Britain is broken from the infected blood scandal to the Post Office scandal, so we need a new kind of politics."

In Hitchin, he believes that means beefing up public services, particularly hospitals.

He said: "We have a serious healthcare problem locally, with only two hospitals in Hertfordshire.

As a Hertfordshire group of Reform candidates, we have agreed to collectively for a brand new teaching hospital in Hatfield, which would provide services throughout Hertfordshire and release pressure on the hospitals while training staff for the next generation"

With polls in Hitchin suggesting Labour's Alistair Strathern is favourite for the seat, Mr Bunker has taken the unusual step of calling for the Conservative candidate, Bim Afolami, to stand down to 'unite the right'.

He said: "Bim's a lovely guy but what has happened is the Conservative Party are no longer conservative and have let the public down for fourteen years.

"The Conservative Party are not going to win in Hitchin and Bim should stand down so the right wing can rally around Reform UK as the only party that can beat Alistair Strathern."

Asked to sum up why voters in Hitchin should back Reform in a sentence, he said: "Because we will control immigration and protect local public services to rebuild broken Britain".

The other candidates in Hitchin are: Will Lavin (Green Party) and Chris Lucas (Liberal Democrats). 

The election takes place on July 4.