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From The Socialist newspaper, 27 January 2016
Angry campaigners protest against closure of A&E
2,000 demonstrate against Huddersfield's A&E closure, photo by Iain Dalton (Click to enlarge)
Mike Forster, Huddersfield Socialist Party
Anger is palpable wherever you go in Huddersfield. Ordinary people are organising events everywhere against the closure of the town's A&E. An online petition has already topped 100,000!
On 20 January, the Calderdale/Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) met to reach its final decision on a very secret consultation about the future of accident and emergency provision in the area.
The decision was picked up by the media and a huge groundswell of opposition sprung up all over the town: a Facebook group has already attracted over 40,000 members. A protest of around 2,000 on 23 January in the town square heard speaker after speaker condemn the move.
Huddersfield has never seen anything like it! The CCG will live to rue the day they took us all on.
There's no doubt that if this proposal goes ahead, people will die. The nearest A&E is at least 30 minutes away, but much longer in rush hour or if you live in far flung communities.
And this is in Halifax, a PFI hospital which is being drained of money to pay off a colossal debt.
The strength of the campaign is that it's lead from below. Although local MP's formed a 'united front' to fight the closure, people completely new to the struggle have been thrown into the leadership which has invigorated the campaign.
The Socialist Party have collected nearly 15,000 signatures on this issue in the last year and our campaign stalls have now been transformed as we engage in the campaign, mobilising young people in particular.
On the first public rally we raised almost £250 in paper sales, badges and fighting fund. There will be no going back from this.
- The campaign can be found on Facebook, Twitter and online by searching for #handsoffhri
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
In The Socialist 27 January 2016:
Socialist Party news and analysis
Housing: smash the Tory wrecking bill
Davos summit: a broken capitalist system
Google pays pittance for avoiding £2bn tax
Red doors and wristbands scandal
Steelworkers may face benefit cut-off for not seeking bar jobs
Oscars snub black artists: fight racism and austerity in the arts
Labour councillor smears TUSC policy as 'BNP'
Top tweets: #TraditionallySubmissive
Teachers under attack
Teaching: a perfect storm is brewing
Teachers need national strategy for a national struggle
A day in the life of a teacher and mother
International socialist news and analysis
New wave of protests in Tunisia
India: student death exposes caste oppression
What we think
Tories 'Prevent' civil liberties
Council cuts and the fight in Labour
Labour councillor suspended for fighting cuts
Dave Nellist's byelection appeal to Jeremy Corbyn: 'let's discuss how to fight the cuts'
Labour election post-mortem: nothing to report!
The dark arts of Labour's right
Councillors must fight to defend our services
'People's budgets' and local democracy
Lewisham: no backsliding in council cuts fight!
Workplace news and analysis
"I have left work many times in tears" - a council worker
Trade union bill will stretch resources and limit action
Birmingham teachers strike to resist academy attack
Care services under threat in Haringey
Readers' comment
The end for deep coal mining jobs in Britain
Obituary: Dean Meehan 1962-2016
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Protesting against closure of Huddersfield A&E
Coventry children's services closure protest
New Socialist Party branch fights against St Austell austerity
Socialist Party discusses the fight for socialism
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