The
Save Huddersfield NHS campaign is dominating the local elections in
Huddersfield. The local paper has featured the three candidates and in
its editorial called the NHS the most important issue of the elections.
Many voters in the Crosland Moor and Netherton ward are pledging their
support for Socialist Party member Dr Jackie Grunsell who is standing
for the campaign.
Mike Forster, Huddersfield
Jackie has developed a high profile as the leader of the campaign and
a local GP in the ward. It is almost impossible to knock on a door and
find someone who hasn’t heard about the attacks on local health services
and the fight against them.
Two public meetings in the ward have been attended by over 40 people,
all with offers of leafleting and other help. Petitioning outside school
gates has been met by clamouring for stickers and posters that seem to
be appearing all over!
The plan to transfer various hospital services to a PFI hospital in
Halifax has caused outrage across the town. It is a credit to our work
that in the last council meeting before the elections three hours was
spent discussing the NHS issue, with all three main parties trying to
claim to have done something in the campaign.
The Tories called for the NHS Trust Board members to be sacked and
for them to be publicly accountable! New Labour couldn’t make up their
minds. One councillor attacked our campaign, claiming it was a rabble
and represented mob rule.
However the Labour group’s resolution condemning the Trust and
calling for a referendum was passed. The Lib Dems also condemned the
Trust but didn’t mention that two of their councillors on the board had
voted to close or transfer services. In reality, the whole council have
sat on their hands during this crisis and are now desperately trying to
get votes on the back of our campaign.
But people in Huddersfield are not as daft as the councillors think.
On our campaign stalls and on the doorstep we are discussing the future
of the NHS and public services in general. This has given us a perfect
platform around which we are presenting the argument for a fighting
socialist alternative.
There is a strong chance of a victory in this election although
nothing is being taken for granted. The bandwagon is rolling with daily
canvassing, a special translated leaflet for the 20% Urdu speaking
population, and election returns showing overwhelming support for the
campaign. Every street we leave has at least one poster displayed in the
window calling for a vote for Jackie Grunsell.
