Started by prospective Parliamentary candidates Philip Allott and Craig Whittaker, the pair hope to gather thousands of signatures before they present the list to Downing Street at the end of the month.

On Saturday the petition hit the streets of Halifax with volunteers collecting support around the town centre and dropping forms into shops and businesses. The petition has also gone live online.

Mr Allott, prospective Conservative candidate for the town, said: "Despite all their talk, we have still not had any assurances on the future of jobs in Halifax. There continues to be a strong feeling that Gordon Brown is keen to protect jobs in his native Scotland over those in Yorkshire.

"This is about everyone in Calderdale standing up and being counted."

He said the loss of the 6,000 jobs would have a devastating effect on the town's economy.

Sylvia Wadsworth, from Copley, Halifax, was the first person to sign the petition.

She said: "I am absolutely in support of this. If these jobs go, everything will go. There will be nothing left in Halifax."