
The Socialist 12 May 2010
MPs and party leaders haggle over their jobs... preparing to cut ours!
MPs and party leaders haggling over their jobs... preparing to cut ours!
Support the British Airways strikers
Greece: the struggle must continue and intensify
Fight the repression of workers in Kazakhstan
General election 2010: TUSC results and the need for working class representation
Coventry elections: Strong socialist support
Lewisham elections: socialists will be at forefront of struggle
Huddersfield elections: Forging a socialist campaigning tradition
Anti-Tory mood dominated in Stoke during 2010 election
Spelthorne campaign during the 2010 general election
Swansea: Potential new members
Scotland: Meetings show enthusiasm for socialism
Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (TUSC) general election results
Obituary - Peter Hadden, 1950 - 2010
Gulf of Mexico disaster: nationalise the oil giants
Ex-Jarvis workers protest in Leeds
National Shop Stewards Network conference
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Huddersfield: Forging a socialist campaigning tradition

Jackie Grunsell, Save Huddersfield NHS campaign councillor in 2006, photo Alison Hill
In 2006, Jackie Grunsell was elected as a councillor with a big majority following a high profile campaign to stop NHS cuts in Huddersfield. She had become a well-known public figure in the town and was elected as a 'Save Our NHS' candidate.
Mike Forster
Four years later and we were once again asking for support for Jackie, but this time as a TUSC candidate. It was almost like starting all over again, except that Jackie has been, without doubt, one of the most active fighting councillors Huddersfield has ever seen.
We started canvassing in January but had prepared the ground with door-to-door work in the summer and a constant stream of hand delivered newsletters. We were trying to reach an electorate of just over 13,000 people, 6,500 households. We managed to canvass the entire area not once, but twice, and in some parts, three times!
Those that remembered Jackie, those who followed her work as a councillor, and those she had personally helped, remained as loyal as ever. We had six times as many window posters for Jackie than all the other parties put together. However, with the general election on the same day, a large majority were thinking about national issues when it came to making up their minds.
This was summed up by one voter who said: "I'm a Labour supporter and I want to stop the Tories so I'm voting Lib Dem." She said she would otherwise have voted for us! Many were equally confused. This was not unique.
Up until election day, we were confident of being in with a very good chance. Support on the streets and on the doorstep was excellent and our vote was holding up well. We visited and revisited all those who pledged to vote for Jackie, but on the day, we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of voters who were focused on the general election.
On election day, our campaign was swamped by offers of support. We ran campaign stalls all day and had supporters near almost all of the polling stations. We ran a brilliant 'soup kitchen' to sustain everyone and managed to knock on the door of virtually every supporter in the evening who had not already voted. Our support was reflected in 60 Socialist newspapers sold on the day and many financial donations.
Support will grow
But politics is an unforgiving activity. People decided, many perhaps for the last time, to vote for the mainstream parties. A political tsunami of Greek proportions is coming to every household in the near future. No one can say they have not heard of a fighting alternative in our area and they will turn, in even larger numbers than in 2006, to our banner when they have cast off their illusions in the three main parties.
In the meantime, over 25 people have applied to join the Socialist Party (three have already joined); 440 papers were sold in the campaign and we had one of our largest ward-based public meetings. A campaigning tradition has been forged in Huddersfield, which will be built on further in the near future.
In this issue
MPs and party leaders haggling over their jobs... preparing to cut ours!
British Airways strike
Support the British Airways strikers
International socialist news and analysis
Greece: the struggle must continue and intensify
Fight the repression of workers in Kazakhstan
Socialist Party election campaign
General election 2010: TUSC results and the need for working class representation
Coventry elections: Strong socialist support
Lewisham elections: socialists will be at forefront of struggle
Huddersfield elections: Forging a socialist campaigning tradition
Anti-Tory mood dominated in Stoke during 2010 election
Spelthorne campaign during the 2010 general election
Swansea: Potential new members
Scotland: Meetings show enthusiasm for socialism
Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (TUSC) general election results
Socialist Party Marxist analysis
Obituary
Obituary - Peter Hadden, 1950 - 2010
Environment and socialism
Gulf of Mexico disaster: nationalise the oil giants
Workplace news and analysis
Ex-Jarvis workers protest in Leeds
National Shop Stewards Network conference
Related links:
Kirklees: Labour and Green councillors refuse to fight the cuts
Launch of Huddersfield Women's Lives Matter
Huddersfield Socialist Party: '12 years to save the world' - A socialist answer to climate change
Huddersfield Socialist Party: The rise of the populist right in Latin America
Huddersfield Socialist Party: Marxist feminism
Cardiff East Socialist Party: Saving the music industry from pandemic and austerity
Cardiff West Socialist Party: Saving the music industry from pandemic and austerity
Bristol North Socialist Party: Socialist feminism
Bristol North Socialist Party: Why does capitalism keep failing?
USA in crisis - the need for a socialist alternative
PCS Broad Left Network conference