COMMUNITY

LEADERS ACROSS Calderdale have published a message of solidarity following the borough being placed under new local restrictions because of increasing Covid-19 cases.

At a meeting of Calderdale Council’s Cabinet on Monday, Leader of the Council Tim Swift, presented the joint statement on behalf of Calderdale’s Place Leaders, which included Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust’s chair Philip Lewer, chair of Calderdale Council of Mosques Nadeem Mir and West Yorkshire Police Chief Supt Dickie Whitehead.

The statement can be seen as implicitly critical of comments made by Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker last week, although not naming him.

Mr Whittaker hit the headlines with remarks made following Calderdale becoming subject to local restrictions last Thursday night, shortly after being named an ‘area of concern’ saying some Muslims in West Yorkshire were not taking the pandemic seriously.

Councillor Swift said: “We will not seek to blame, to create division and scapegoat, particularly when we have seen so much loss, and when this affects those who often work in occupations such as our NHS, on transport, in social care and in our shops.

“It’s a time to use our strong diversity and inclusion to support each other and to keep the most vulnerable safe.

“Those who have kept the country going, and to whom we all owe a great debt of thanks.”

The message says working in partnership to stick to guidance and promoting understanding of the threat faced gives Calderdale the best chance of beating the “terrible” pandemic.

It goes on to praise the Muslim community, which showed

“We will not seek to blame, to create division and scapegoat.”

great dignity last week when, just before Eid al-Adha, an event as important as Christmas is to those of Christian faith, restrictions were introduced leading to immediate cancellation of plans.

Mr Whittaker said: “It wasn’t in my view to do with Eid. There was evidence within Calderdale – not nationally, to show in areas it was evident the BAME community were not taking this epidemic seriously. The evidence I referred to was provided by our local Calderdale Council.”

ONLINE: For more on this, visit; www.halifaxcourier.co.uk