Debbie Allen voted Labor in the Stoke-on-Trent local elections. Photo: John Robertson
Standing next to a bronze statue of Josiah Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent's most famous potter, Debbie Allen admits she is one of many who have returned to the Labor vote.
“We gave the Conservatives a chance because they wanted Brexit to end,” she said. , taking a moment to look back at the 18th century founder of Wedgwood, who helped define the city of Staffordshire as a center of pottery production and also ushered in the Industrial Revolution.
“But things didn’t go the way we did. hoped,” added Ms Allen, a 62-year-old retiree.
“I have voted Conservative in the past and voted to leave the European Union in the Brexit vote. But it seems to be done now. And Liz Truss was such a disaster. So, I voted Labor in this local election.”
Shortly after 4:00 am on Friday, it was announced that Labor had regained control of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, a power they had lost in 2015 year.
The triumphant Sarah-Jane Colclough wins a seat at Bentil, Ubberley and Townsend as Labor races to victory at Stoke-on-Trent. Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images The cities of Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Fenton and Longton are a political barometer deep within the Labor Red Wall in the Midlands and the north of England.
Former traditional Labor heartland is a place where many locals proudly remember their relatives who worked in the now obsolete coal mines scattered across the foothills overlooking the River Trent. He currently has three Conservative MPs following the 2019 general election.
After the votes were counted, Jack Brereton, Stoke-on-Trent MP for the South, read a statement on behalf of Abi Brown, the former Conservative leader of the council.
He said the party had suffered because of the which Conservative councilors worked to manage the council. He insisted that the Conservatives keep their share of the vote.
But for those in Tori Jo Gideon's Stoke-on-Trent Central seat, Friday's results will be especially troubling, as she has just 670 votes. She did not respond to a request for comment.
Local elections. 2023 Results
In Hanley, Barbara Crowder, lithographer from Wedgwood (“I'm Patterning the Plates”), could barely contain her excitement about Labor running the city again.
“I'm from the working class . and I have always voted Labor,” said the 65-year-old mother of one.
“Well, I voted for Margaret Thatcher because she was a woman. But I come from a mining family, so I'm very happy that Labor won.”
At 80, Betty Phillips believes “the Tory trend is changing.”
“I consider myself a traditional Labor supporter,” said the former parasite who cleans pottery while shopping.
“We were brought up that way. My dad and my late husband were miners.”
Betty Phillips thinks 'the trend is changing' for Tories Photo: John Robertson
Her son Chai, 52, who was carrying groceries, chimed in to say he too had voted Labor.
One Conservative voter, who declined to be named, said he felt the Tories had done a “good job” at City Hall.
“Actually, you don't brag about the fact that you voted for the Conservatives here. A lot of people do it, but you don't tend to broadcast it,” he said.
“It was a big Brexit area that probably influenced the general election. But there was also a sense that Labor took their support for granted.”
Slightly over 70% of Stoke-on-Trent voters supported Brexit. In 2021, Ms. Brown, the former Conservative leader who retained her seat, called the city a “litmus test” for the government's level-up program. She, too, did not respond to a request for comment.
But for John Copeland, a retired Rolls-Royce designer who shopped at Hanley with his wife, the upgrade was “just a gimmick.”
“I hope Stoke-on-Trent returns to the Labor general election,” he said, adding that he has always supported Labor.
Local elections – Stoke-on-Trent
Back at the statue, Ms Allen counts that many in the Potteries may use their voice in protest. of the rising cost of living, and that parts of the city are clearly abandoned with boarded-up buildings, often former pubs, dotted across many of the six cities.
“Things seem a lot worse. in Stoke now,” she said. “The cost of living crisis prompted me to return to Labor.”
But there is some hope for Jonathan Gallis, Ms Gideon and Mr Brereton, three Conservative MPs who face a tough fight to keep their seats.
Ms. Allen hasn't decided who she will vote for in the general election.
“I don't really like Keir Starmer,” she said.
“I still really like Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. Closer to that time, I will consider whether I will choose the Conservatives or the Labor Party.”
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