Young socialist standing for Save Huddersfield NHS


Ian Slattery

Ian Slattery

THE CAMPAIGN of Save Huddersfield NHS to elect a second fighting, socialist councillor has carried on from where it left off last year.

The 2006 election victory of Dr Jackie Grunsell, showed the willingness of people to vote for an electoral alternative to the main political parties. This year’s candidate, standing in the ward where Jackie Grunsell is a councillor, is 21 year old Socialist Party member Ian Slattery. Ian spoke to the socialist about the campaign:

“Despite the cuts to Huddersfield’s hospitals being at an early stage, almost everyone we’ve met has been disgusted by the attacks on our health facilities. Patients from St Lukes Hospital, which specialises in mental health, are being put into combined wards despite having completely different conditions. Many people are also pledging votes to us on the basis of other issues, such as the impact Jackie has made in the council, and in spite of the allegedly bad haircuts and youthful looks of the candidate!”

The campaign has canvassed over half the Crossland Moor and Netherton ward so far. In the first week of the campaign 186 copies of the socialist were sold and over £300 of donations have been received.