A new group is being set up in Huddersfield in a bid to hold people in positions of authority to account.

Huddersfield Community Assembly also aims to mobilise people to take action if they feel there has been an injustice.

The group’s next meeting is in Paddock and anyone is welcome to attend.

A national organisation called Community Assemblies of the British Isles is co-ordinating assemblies across the UK and there are currently 83 assemblies across the UK.

The Huddersfield one has already met a couple of times and sent a list of complaints about local issues to Kirklees Council chief executive Steve Mawson.

The Huddersfield group says: “Talking to local people informally they know that many things seem unjust and they would like to act but they have no current means of doing so as a collective body.

“Many bemoan the fact they can do nothing about the situation except vote every five years or volunteer for local roles in education, councils and charities.

“None of us need reminding of the trends in this century – a deterioration of public services, a growing inequality between rich and poor not seen since the 1930s, rocketing executive salaries, impoverishment of wage earners, lowered life expectancy, stealthy privatisation of the NHS and an inability for a younger generation to get decent housing.

“Under the pressures of modern life, ethical behaviour, spiritual awareness and religious practice has declined in parallel with honour and decency. Misbehaving authorities in government, councils, police forces and the NHS are seldom held to account.

“Community Assemblies mean forming a physical group and participatory process that brings people together to articulate community needs, assess solutions and mobilise for action, with a focus on those least able to help themselves.

“With an organised and active community assembly there are many things we can do in upholding moral and ethical standards in the town and surrounding areas and holding public servants to account.

“The Huddersfield Assembly has already created sub-groups to tackle particular challenges. We plan to invite public figures to explain to the Assembly why they act in certain ways and to justify their actions.”

The Huddersfield group’s next meeting will be at the Quaker Meeting House, 34 Church Street, Paddock, Huddersfield, HD1 4TR, on Friday, November 29 between 1pm and 3pm.

The national Community Assemblies of the British Isles website is https://www.ca-britishisles.com

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.