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Huddersfield Rises:

Local Voices Demanding National Climate Action
and Democratic Reform!

It’s inspiring to be part of a surge of grassroots energy transforming a local community into a potential powerhouse of change. This spirit of change was alive on Thursday, July 10th, at Huddersfield Mission on Lord Street, when over forty local residents gathered for a People’s Assembly on the Climate and Nature Crisis.

Organised by the Assemble Huddersfield group, the event united people of all backgrounds and ages, to collectively tackle environmental challenges facing our community and beyond.

This assembly is part of a developing movement and is supported by Assemble, a national group dedicated to direct democracy by empowering communities to drive change from the grassroots through local and National Assemblies.

Two compelling speeches launched the meeting, the first by lead director of EPIKS’ active travel projects and secretary of Cycle Kirklees, Chas Ball, who spoke on local sustainable transport solutions. He was followed by Adrian Cruden of Huddersfield Friends of the Earth, who passionately called for a robust, national Climate Plan and urged that the government be called to account.

A facilitator from Assemble Huddersfield then guided the assembly into a structured discussion splitting the attendees in to five smaller groups creating a collaborative and respectful space to explore ideas, discuss policies, and share personal experiences relating to the first question put: “What do you think are the most urgent aspects of climate breakdown that must be addressed?”. After thirty minutes of discussion, a wide range of concerns emerged, as follows:

• The dominance of fossil fuel corporations
• Political systems that undermine ecological well-being
• Inequality in access to resources
• Emissions and inaction in the transport sector

One group also made a call for a “reform of the narrative,” arguing that climate conversations often exclude ordinary people and fail to reflect community voices.

The second question put to the assembly focused on transforming discussion into actionable policy, asking: “What policies, actions, or changes should be prioritised at the national level?”. After a further thirty-five minutes of discussions, fifteen key ideas were presented to be put to a vote.

The top priorities chosen for national action reflect are as follows:

• Deep adaptation to future climate challenges
• Community empowerment and local resilience
• Revolutionary socialism as a systemic solution
• Legal rights of nature
• Tighter corporate laws on environmental responsibility
• Making environmental protection a legal obligation

The top five proposals will now be advanced to the upcoming “House of the People” event in London. This ambitious three-day gathering aims to create a participatory alternative to the House of Lords.

The People’s Assembly on the Climate and Nature Crisis in Huddersfield has demonstrated to the community that we are ready to lead within a direct democracy system with the local and wider community at the heart of our action. This is exactly the kind of “Butterfly Thinking” that we believe can transform our society.

John A Smith

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