Centre for Cities : Money, Power, Elections
Good afternoon, thank you for inviting me to speak today about money, power, elections, three topics most media-aware Tories avoid atm.
Start with talking a little about my city – 13th largest city in UK, situated administratively in north West Midlands but with a 360’ view towards North West and East Midlands too. Population approx ¼ million, strong industrial heritage built on pits and pots, in recent years become more focused on advanced materials (technical ceramics) and manufacturing, 13% of our local economy. Home of internationally recognised brands such as Michelin, Bet365 and Wedgwood & Emma Bridgewood.
Politically, historically a strong Labour city – 20+ years ago, Lab strongly held all 3 parliamentary seats and all 60 council seats. At times, uneasy relationship externally with surrounding Staffordshire County, and internally between the towns as economic change supported some and not others, and external narrative we’ve told the world about had been predominately one of ‘six towns’ rather than ‘one city’. Interestingly, we have had an elected mayor previously (went after 2 terms), and Labour had been either in control or influential in directing local political direction for almost all of the modern history of the city. However, this changed in 2015, when the City Council welcomed an Indie/Tory coalition, and in a further step, today Conservative-led City Council, working with a Conservative MP in SOTS. The other two seats are marginal.
Worth dwelling a little on why Stoke-on-Trent is changing – biased of course, my wit and youth (being the youngest ever City Council leader) is why the Conservatives have been on a positive trajectory over last 5 years - but perhaps more so that politics has passed city by. We have been, by design often of lazy politicians, a ‘left behind place’. Low levels of political activism with often a complacent ‘closed shop’ approach from Labour Party, which saw first public-backed elected mayor campaign, and then rise of BNP in 2000s, proved that with the right approach, as a Party we could get a foothold as Conservatives. In May this year, I more than doubled my number of councillors by campaigning hard on issues that mattered to residents – improved transport infrastructure, better basic services and regeneration, with a bucket full of positivity. In 2014, I was just 1 of just 2 Tory cllrs, so clearly my message of buses, bins and better buildings has real traction.
For the last 4 years, very much advanced a message about the strength of ‘one city’ – led some strong campaigns to change the perception of the city, including bidding to be UK City of Culture in 2021, beaten by W.Mids neighbour Coventry, and increasingly recognised for our cultural regeneration. Geographically well positioned, and as a unitary council, we have the ability to be strategically strong and ‘open for business’. Increasingly spotted in those polls all council leaders love about best places to live or work (recently featured in top 10 best places to start a business, best place to raise a family, and most cultural place to live), and increasingly strong economically, one of fastest growing economies outside South East.
What’s my ambition for Stoke-on-Trent? Think it’s one of the most exciting cities in the UK, small enough to care, big enough to deliver and of course with a young, dynamic leader who burns for her city. In the last few years, we secured and delivered on our Ceramic Valley EZ, now one of most successful in UK. We’re capitalising on our brilliant geographic location in centre of the UK, both for business growth and house building (we have more housing completions than any London Borough), and in recent years we’ve demonstrated the powerful traction of culture and heritage to drive both investment and civic pride. Following elections in May, we have 4 years to continue building on this legacy, and I’m looking forward to announcing plans in the coming months around a number of projects, including our East/West development, which is the largest regeneration area available to go now in the region. Big ambition for my city, more jobs, more businesses and more homes to secure it’s place as a real growth point of UK plc.
Like all leaders, interested to hear what the PM has to say. He has a strong background that should have resonance with councils – London often seen as separate and different, but reality is more like a council than parliament. Also Boris’s style should underscore for us his understanding of the sector – need to bring in strong characters with vision and work collaboratively with a strong message for residents.
Starting to see glimpses of this – Brexit had paralysed national government but as local councils we’ve carried on delivering what matters for residents anyway. Pre-Boris, policies such as Future High Streets and Stronger Towns were trailed, dangled for months for us to lust after, but we’ve seen the new government move quickly on these to announce where the money is going. Not going to hide my disappointment that Stoke-on-Trent has not featured in either of these, however delighted that Stoke town is one of the Heritage High Street Fund recipients, investing £m into the administrative centre of the city. Joining the historic Spode site, 10 hectare site in the centre of the town with the high street will be key to this plan, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done in the last 4 years to start this work, with artists studios, a pop up hotel, café and conference facilities on site, alongside the fantastic China Halls which hosts such diverse events as the internationally renowned British Ceramic Biennial (on now), beer festivals, charity dinners, and several thousands capacity dance events with DJs including Radio 1’s Annie Mac, all within the authentic surroundings of a former pottery factory.
But the real test will be the granular detail of the recent Spending Review. Councils are the owners of place, we are the change makers and risk takers who make the difference, and we have faced a fairly tumultuous time financially. If we have seen the end of austerity, the local government finance settlements we get will show that – in Stoke-on-Trent we talk about the 5% of the population who are the biggest drivers of demand for our services. Whilst government have prevaricated over funding settlements and mechanisms, we have carried on delivering. The move to business rates retention hasn’t crystallised yet, and the four year settlement we were promised has turned into another one year settlement. It doesn’t help with planning and it makes us all just a bit nervous, particularly against a backdrop of increased demand. It’s fine to say you can increase council tax – and I have, with a strong message of investment in both adults and children’s – but to put into context for cities like Stoke-on-Trent, where our tax base is based on a preponderance of band A and B terraces, a 1% increase in council tax brings in just £800k, which doesn’t even touch the increase in demand for just adult social care.
Is Boris listening to places like Stoke-on-Trent? I hope so – we had the BBC in town last week for a week of programming, and The Times ran an article this weekend on a focus group where the message from our increasingly partisan communities is far more inline with what the PM is saying about Brexit. And let’s make no bones about it – a strong message, focused on supporting residents and delivering improvements means we bucked the national trend in May. The key to Boris staying in Number 10 is understanding how places like Stoke-on-Trent work, so he better be.
