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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/28/this-not-about-brexit-labour-faces-credibility-test-stoke
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| 'This is not about Brexit': Labour faces credibility test in Stoke | 'This is not about Brexit': Labour faces credibility test in Stoke |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| In next week’s local election Stoke-on-Trent faces a curious paradox: it is being closely watched as a bellwether for national trends, but at the same time no one directly involved in the battle seems able to predict what could happen, or what lessons might be learned. | In next week’s local election Stoke-on-Trent faces a curious paradox: it is being closely watched as a bellwether for national trends, but at the same time no one directly involved in the battle seems able to predict what could happen, or what lessons might be learned. |
| In the most simple terms, whether or not Labour can regain control of the Staffordshire city would seem a fairly basic test of the party’s electability under Jeremy Corbyn, and failure to do so would be a blow. | In the most simple terms, whether or not Labour can regain control of the Staffordshire city would seem a fairly basic test of the party’s electability under Jeremy Corbyn, and failure to do so would be a blow. |
| Conservatives expected to get hammering in local elections | Conservatives expected to get hammering in local elections |
| Stoke is traditionally a Labour stronghold. Until Jack Brereton took Stoke South for the Conservatives in 2017, all three of its parliamentary seats had been Labour since their creation in 1950. | Stoke is traditionally a Labour stronghold. Until Jack Brereton took Stoke South for the Conservatives in 2017, all three of its parliamentary seats had been Labour since their creation in 1950. |
| However, the council has switched in recent years between Labour and no overall control, and is run by a coalition of Conservatives and the City Independents, which despite its name is a party and includes among its councillors longtime independents as well as defectors from parties as varied as Labour, Ukip and the British National party. | However, the council has switched in recent years between Labour and no overall control, and is run by a coalition of Conservatives and the City Independents, which despite its name is a party and includes among its councillors longtime independents as well as defectors from parties as varied as Labour, Ukip and the British National party. |
| Mohammed Pervez, the energetic leader of the Labour group, which remains the council’s biggest, is fighting an avowedly local campaign, focused on traditional areas such as litter, parking, potholes and schools. Asked for predictions, he will only say the party is “campaigning hard”. | Mohammed Pervez, the energetic leader of the Labour group, which remains the council’s biggest, is fighting an avowedly local campaign, focused on traditional areas such as litter, parking, potholes and schools. Asked for predictions, he will only say the party is “campaigning hard”. |
| During a canvass of comfortably sized postwar terraced houses in his own ward north of the city centre, Pervez delivers a well-drilled message about “four years of chaos” covering everything from children’s services to road maintenance. | During a canvass of comfortably sized postwar terraced houses in his own ward north of the city centre, Pervez delivers a well-drilled message about “four years of chaos” covering everything from children’s services to road maintenance. |
| National issues do come up, he says, chatting during a pause from the intermittent rain and hail. “Brexit is a big issue on the doorstep. Our challenge is to make people understand that this election is not about Brexit, but about local services. There isn’t much we can do about Brexit, other than share people’s frustrations.” | National issues do come up, he says, chatting during a pause from the intermittent rain and hail. “Brexit is a big issue on the doorstep. Our challenge is to make people understand that this election is not about Brexit, but about local services. There isn’t much we can do about Brexit, other than share people’s frustrations.” |
| A few miles to the south in the civic centre, made up of Stoke’s palatial Victorian former town hall with a distinctly less lovely 1980s building attached to the side, Ann James sits in the leader’s office and complains of what she says is an unfair Labour message. | A few miles to the south in the civic centre, made up of Stoke’s palatial Victorian former town hall with a distinctly less lovely 1980s building attached to the side, Ann James sits in the leader’s office and complains of what she says is an unfair Labour message. |
| James, a member of the City Independents for two decades, became Stoke’s first female council leader last year after her predecessor stepped down for health reasons. | James, a member of the City Independents for two decades, became Stoke’s first female council leader last year after her predecessor stepped down for health reasons. |
| A worker and union representative at a tile factory before she was made redundant, James reels off a familiar list of council challenges: a 28% fall in central funding since 2010, all the while as demand for services soar, especially for adult and child social care. | A worker and union representative at a tile factory before she was made redundant, James reels off a familiar list of council challenges: a 28% fall in central funding since 2010, all the while as demand for services soar, especially for adult and child social care. |
| She says the coalition has tried to fill the gap by bringing in new companies, and is building homes on formerly derelict land via a council-owned construction venture (something Labour says was originally its plan). | She says the coalition has tried to fill the gap by bringing in new companies, and is building homes on formerly derelict land via a council-owned construction venture (something Labour says was originally its plan). |
| “We always get asked how, as independents, we have influence on the government,” James says. “But governments have never supported Stoke-on-Trent by putting money into it. And that’s why we’ve had to do things alone, like the housing, and getting new businesses in. We’re going to have to be self-sufficient.” | “We always get asked how, as independents, we have influence on the government,” James says. “But governments have never supported Stoke-on-Trent by putting money into it. And that’s why we’ve had to do things alone, like the housing, and getting new businesses in. We’re going to have to be self-sufficient.” |
| The independents and Conservatives face an electoral test as tough as Labour’s, in their case trying to follow up 2015 results where they both made significant gains. | The independents and Conservatives face an electoral test as tough as Labour’s, in their case trying to follow up 2015 results where they both made significant gains. |
| The Conservative group leader, Abi Brown, who is number two to James in the council, recounts the period before 2015 when her party had two representatives – her and Brereton – and “were regarded as a bit of an irrelevance”. | The Conservative group leader, Abi Brown, who is number two to James in the council, recounts the period before 2015 when her party had two representatives – her and Brereton – and “were regarded as a bit of an irrelevance”. |
| Now they have seven, and like Pervez, Brown is keen to keep the campaigning as far away as possible from national issues like Brexit: “I’d like to think that in the wards we hold, people know their councillors and while they might be unhappy with things at a national level – and it does get raised – they’ll vote on local issues. But I suppose we’ll find out next week.” | Now they have seven, and like Pervez, Brown is keen to keep the campaigning as far away as possible from national issues like Brexit: “I’d like to think that in the wards we hold, people know their councillors and while they might be unhappy with things at a national level – and it does get raised – they’ll vote on local issues. But I suppose we’ll find out next week.” |
| One complication will be turnout. The 2015 vote took place on the same day as the general election, which means numbers this time are likely to be far lower. Pervez and his Labour team recount another issue: households receiving polling cards this week for European elections on 23 May, and wrongly assuming this is the date of the local vote. | One complication will be turnout. The 2015 vote took place on the same day as the general election, which means numbers this time are likely to be far lower. Pervez and his Labour team recount another issue: households receiving polling cards this week for European elections on 23 May, and wrongly assuming this is the date of the local vote. |
| Back at the Labour canvass, one woman who is a teacher chats animatedly to Pervez about the local potholes – “my car got damaged, I couldn’t claim any money back, and the pothole’s still there” – before admitting she has never voted, and is unlikely to break the habit next week. | Back at the Labour canvass, one woman who is a teacher chats animatedly to Pervez about the local potholes – “my car got damaged, I couldn’t claim any money back, and the pothole’s still there” – before admitting she has never voted, and is unlikely to break the habit next week. |
| Epitomising the confused loyalties that make political predictions in the city so difficult, she professes to be a remain supporter in a generally pro-Brexit city while also admiring Theresa May: “I like her. I do think she has got the country’s best interests at heart.” | Epitomising the confused loyalties that make political predictions in the city so difficult, she professes to be a remain supporter in a generally pro-Brexit city while also admiring Theresa May: “I like her. I do think she has got the country’s best interests at heart.” |
| A few doors down, 46-year-old Peter Landon listens carefully as Pervez explains plans to tackle the daily parking chaos linked to the street’s primary school. | A few doors down, 46-year-old Peter Landon listens carefully as Pervez explains plans to tackle the daily parking chaos linked to the street’s primary school. |
| Landon declines to tell Pervez how he will vote – “all the councillors have always been rubbish. No offence” – but does admit to enjoying Stoke’s new political plurality: “In the past you could have put a teddy bear with a Labour rosette on it, and they’d be returned. It was pointless voting for anyone else. Now you can’t really predict anything.” | Landon declines to tell Pervez how he will vote – “all the councillors have always been rubbish. No offence” – but does admit to enjoying Stoke’s new political plurality: “In the past you could have put a teddy bear with a Labour rosette on it, and they’d be returned. It was pointless voting for anyone else. Now you can’t really predict anything.” |
| Stoke-on-Trent at a glance | Stoke-on-Trent at a glance |
| Was a Labour council until elections of 2015. | Was a Labour council until elections of 2015. |
| Now Labour still have the majority of councillors but council run by coalition of independent, Conservative and Ukip councillors, who collectively outweigh Labour. | Now Labour still have the majority of councillors but council run by coalition of independent, Conservative and Ukip councillors, who collectively outweigh Labour. |
| Ukip leader Paul Nuttall called it it the Brexit capital of Britain, as it voted Leave with 69.4% majority. | Ukip leader Paul Nuttall called it it the Brexit capital of Britain, as it voted Leave with 69.4% majority. |
| Local MPs are Conservative Jack Brereton for Stoke-on-Trent South, and Labour’s Gareth Snell for Stoke-on-Trent Central and Ruth Smeeth for Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove. | |
| Was a Labour council until elections of 2015. | Was a Labour council until elections of 2015. |
| Now Labour still have the majority of councillors but council run by coalition of independent, Conservative and Ukip councillors, who collectively outweigh Labour. | Now Labour still have the majority of councillors but council run by coalition of independent, Conservative and Ukip councillors, who collectively outweigh Labour. |
| Ukip leader Paul Nuttall called it it the Brexit capital of Britain, as it voted Leave with 69.4% majority. | Ukip leader Paul Nuttall called it it the Brexit capital of Britain, as it voted Leave with 69.4% majority. |
| Local MPs are Conservative Jack Brereton for Stoke-on-Trent South, and Labour’s Gareth Snell for Stoke-on-Trent Central and Ruth Smeeth for Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove. | |
| Local elections | Local elections |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Labour | Labour |
| Conservatives | Conservatives |
| Local government | Local government |
| Local politics | Local politics |
| features | features |
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