Election Fever - A Plague on Both Your Houses

Well, sitting here and listening to the results of the European election, I find myself musing on why it is that I'm nervous of getting a few BNP MEPs in. And, if that happens, there's at least a chance that the electorate of Stoke could have played a part.

Are the people of Stoke particularly right-wing, particularly racist or particularly stupid? Not, I think, any more than in other areas. OK, I'll acknowledge that Oswald Mosley's blackshirts did particularly well locally back in the thirties, which isn't a great thing to have on your scorecard. But we are also, as discussed earlier, renouned for our friendly disposition which must count in our favour.

Far more important, I think, is 20, 30 or even 40 years of industrial and economic decline, during which the very industry that is the reason for the development of Stoke-on-Trent pretty much collapsed entirely. This has led to many old certainties being yanked away from the people of the area. Mass unemployment, a move away from skilled jobs and uncertainty in where future security will come from make people very scared. It is in these circumstances that the relatively recent growth of the number of people from black and minority ethnic groups is seen, quite wrongly, as a threat.

In these difficult circumstances, what we need is neither a shift to the far right nor ineffective local government by the major parties.

Desperate times call for inspiring leadership and clear direction, as has clearly been seen in other UK cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle/Gateshead. However, the governance of Stoke-on-Trent has failed singularly to meet the demands placed upon it in almost every respect. Local councillors seem to be remote from their electorate and highly insular.

It pains me greatly to say that our friends of the far right seem to have worked out that being seen to help 'local people' with 'local issues' is a great way to appeal to voters. Whilst labour, conservative and a good chunk of independent councillors are swanning around, attending lunches and generally screwing the City, BNP types are raising issues that matter to local people and getting results. Things such as broken fences, speed bumps and other such things do matter to real people.

I also fear that mainstream politicians are scared of addressing the race issue. I have no qualms whatsoever about stating boldly and clearly that the increasing diversity in our City brings great benefits to us all. I am also clear that the way to bring new prosperity to the area is not to turn in on ourselves, but to establish a clear and positive vision for the City and to go for it with all that we've got.

Our politicians fail us when they refuse to expose the policies of the extremists for what they are: ineffective (actually disasterous) as well as racist in the extreme.

I hope, possibly in vain, that all our politicians will learn something from the recent elections, political turmoil and failure to deliver. I hope that they will step up to the challenges ahead of us, genuinely engage with residents of the City (or 'voters', if that helps to focus minds) through practical problem solving and also make sure that a vision for the City that is both optimistic and realistic, is developed and implemented to drive us to a future that is very much brighter than the present.