Build Back Better outside Barry Sheerman MP’s office

27^th August 2020.  Supporters from Green New Deal Huddersfield and other related campaign groups gathered outside MPs’ offices across Kirklees to hand in letters calling for a green recovery. The local event is part of national day of action led by Green New Deal UK showing the extent of support for a sustainable recovery for the UK. The letter is signed by groups in the Kirklees area as broad as Huddersfield Mission to Huddersfield Trades Union Council and Huddersfield Youth Strike 4 Climate, and also includes faith groups and cultural organisations.

A socially distanced group of residents visited the offices of Jason McCartney (MP for Colne Valley), Barry Sheerman (MP for Huddersfield) and Mark Eastwood (MP for Dewsbury) to post the letters, and have also contacted Tracy Brabin (MP for Batley & Spen). The letters ask MPs to support an investment-led new deal that protects public services, tackles inequality, provides secure well-paid jobs and creates a shockproof economy that can fight the climate crisis.

Build Back Better outside Jason McCartney MP’s office

Paul Bridges from Huddersfield Mission said: “Our staff have been working incredibly hard to support hundreds of people with advice and practical support, because the COVID crisis has exacerbated and highlighted the economic and health inequalities that we see at the Mission. However, the response to Covid has in some areas shown that there is also another way to organise society. We welcome the work that ensured that homeless people had some where to safe to sleep and the huge health, Council and community effort that has supported people across Kirklees. We as a country do need to ‘build back better’ and the current upheaval can be an opportunity. We hope for a society, economy and community based on social justice and equality for everyone.”

Bob Stoker from Huddersfield Trades Union Council said: “We are backing the Build Back Better campaign’s calls to protect our public services and recognise and respect the key workers that have brought us through this crisis, and for a mass job creation Green New Deal programme, creating good, well-paid jobs”

Laura Tarlo-Ross of Huddersfield Youth Strike 4 Climate said: “We are already seeing the effects of climate breakdown around the world with heatwaves, drought, forest fires and flooding and If we don’t take action now it will be a far bigger global crisis than the COVID crisis we are currently experiencing.  The only sane strategy for Governments around the world is to make sure money spent on our post-COVID economic recovery will ensure a low carbon economy and help build a safer and better world.”

The campaign is part of #BuildBackBetter – the cross-party campaign for a coronavirus recovery plan that prioritizes people, invests in our NHS, and creates an economy capable of tackling the climate crisis. It is supported by over 90 civil society organizations in the UK.

Build Back Better outside Mark Eastwood MP’s office

Other organisations and faith groups across Kirklees are invited to support the Build Back Better campaign. To see a full list of supporters go to: https://huddersfieldfoe.wordpress.com/campaigns/build-back-better-open-letter-to-mps/

Tell your MP to Build Back Better