Fight to save Huddersfield A&E

Fight to save Huddersfield A&E continues to attract huge support

Mike Forster, Huddersfield Socialist Party

The campaign to stop the closure of Huddersfield A&E, as reported in last week’s issue, has continued to attract huge support and mobilise mass opposition.

In the space of ten days, there have been three protests and one monster public meeting. A mass demonstration is now planned with thousands expected to turn out.

The Facebook group now has almost 45,000 followers; local and national celebrities have been retweeting the campaign attracting wider opposition; Huddersfield Town FC invited the campaign onto the pitch before Saturday’s game and 400 turned up to a public meeting to elect a steering committee and organise further events.

Several speakers referred to the campaign ten years ago which fought to stop the removal of maternity services and the closure of a local hospital, which Socialist Party members helped to organise.

Youth speakers

Fighting speeches were given by many speakers but the local young people who spoke from the youth forum and students union went down a storm. Everywhere you go posters, car stickers, petitions and badges are being displayed in shops, pubs, and clubs. The local paper has produced a poster to display in peoples windows. The entire town is rising in revolt.

The next steps of the campaign are therefore crucial to maintain momentum. The anger will need harnessing and directed at the Clinical Commissioning Group which has put forward this proposal.

Socialist Party members are throwing themselves into this campaign. There is a palpable feeling that we can win this one; in fact more like, we must win this one. A defeat will mean lives will be lost.

Socialist Students will be leading the youth protests and activity; both speakers at the public meeting were from the Socialist Students and they are now drawing up plans to draw thousands of young people into the biggest protest movement to hit Huddersfield for decades.