Yorkshire on the campaign trail

Jackie Grunsell, GP and councuillor, speaks at a Save Huddersfield NHS demonstration, photo Huddersfield SP

ACROSS YORKSHIRE, Socialist Party members are getting stuck into campaigning for Socialist Alternative and Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidates in the election.

Our priority regionally is the re-election of Socialist Party member Jackie Grunsell to Kirklees council.

Iain Dalton Yorkshire Socialist Party

Jackie was elected as a Save Huddersfield NHS candidate after a campaign, led by Jackie and other Socialist Party members, of huge protests at cuts to local health services, including against centralising consultant-led maternity services into Calderdale Royal Infirmary.

Since her election, Jackie has used her position to help local working class communities conduct struggles.

These include successfully saving two nurseries two years ago. She also played an integral part in launching the Save Our Services (SOS) campaign against cuts locally.

SOS has the backing of five local trade union organisations with others looking to join it.

This year, Jackie is standing as a TUSC candidate in local elections (Crosland Moor and Netherton ward) and parliamentary elections (Colne Valley constituency).

Another leading SOS campaigner, Paul Cooney, a local Unison health branch secretary, is TUSC candidate in Huddersfield constituency.

Members out on three regional days of action have received a fantastic response. 33% of people we've spoken to indicate that they will vote for Jackie, but to make sure we speak to most voters, we need to canvass the area several times.

We appeal to readers of The Socialist to help us from 2 April - we will have daily activities where people can take part in the campaign.

Lindsey Oil Refinery disputes

Socialist Party member and a leader of last year's Lindsey Oil Refinery disputes, Keith Gibson, is TUSC candidate for Hull West, where the party has organised a meeting for trade unionist supporters of TUSC and a public launch meeting.

Young Socialist Party members in Hull are also organising a 'Youth Fight for Jobs' May Day demonstration in Hull which Keith is backing along with the local trades council.

Socialist Party members Mick Griffiths and Alan Munro are contesting local elections in Wakefield East and Sheffield Graves Park where we achieved 10% and 5% respectively of the vote in the last election.

In Wakefield young Socialist Party members met one woman who was so incensed over privatisation at Pinderfields hospital that she wants to attend our upcoming public meeting, despite never going to a political meeting before in her life.

Socialist Party members will build our party's influence further in these elections and we plan to expand our electoral work to offer a socialist alternative to a wider layer of people throughout Yorkshire.

Huddersfield Weekend of Action Easter weekend 2 - 5 April

For more info about getting involved in the campaign to re-elect Jackie Grunsell, ring Iain on 07809839793

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