Editing Stoke-on-Trent (section)

==Government==
{{See also|Stoke-on-Trent City Council}}
The city is covered by three [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] constituencies: [[Stoke-on-Trent North (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent North]], [[Stoke-on-Trent Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent Central]] and [[Stoke-on-Trent South (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent South]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/mps-and-meps/ |title=MPs and MEPs |publisher=Stoke-on-Trent City Council |access-date=20 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926224239/http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/mps-and-meps/ |archive-date=26 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Until 2019 the northern and central seats had returned Labour MPs since their creation in 1950. However, in the 2019 general election, all 3 Stoke-on-Trent constituencies returned a Conservative MP. The former Labour heartland is highly eurosceptic leading to a 69.4% vote to leave the [[European Union]] in 2016. The city was within the [[West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)|West Midlands]] [[European Parliament]] constituency.

===Mayoral system===
{{main|Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent}}
[[File:Stoke-on-Trent Town Hall (geograph 4569782).jpg|thumb|[[Stoke-upon-Trent Town Hall]]]]
The position of Lord Mayor is largely ceremonial. The title of Lord Mayor was first conferred on the City of Stoke-on-Trent by King [[George V of the United Kingdom|George V]] who visited [[Stoke-upon-Trent Town Hall]] to award the town city status on 5 June 1925.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.macearchive.org/films/king-george-v-and-queen-mary-visit-stoke-trent-5th-june-1925  |title=King George V and Queen Mary visit Stoke-on-Trent |date=5 June 1925|publisher=Mace Archive| access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref> The role of Lord Mayor is decided upon by a vote amongst the elected councillors. The candidates are also selected from the councillors.

Between 1910 and 1928 the Borough, and later, the City of Stoke-on-Trent had a Mayor rather than a Lord Mayor.  The first Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent was [[Cecil Wedgwood]] of the Wedgwood pottery dynasty.<ref>{{cite book|last=Warrillow|first=Ernest J. D.|title=A sociological history of the city of Stoke-on-Trent|publisher=Etruscan Publication|year=1960|page=224}}</ref>

The city was one of a limited number of English districts with an elected mayor and the only council to use the 'mayor and council-manager' [[executive arrangements]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/council/ |title=Stoke-on-Trent City Council |work=Stoke-on-line |access-date=10 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913060817/http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/council/ |archive-date=13 September 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nlgn.org.uk/public/elected-mayors/mayoral-briefing/ |title=Mayoral briefing |publisher=New Local Government network |access-date=16 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216090808/http://www.nlgn.org.uk/public/elected-mayors/mayoral-briefing/ |archive-date=16 December 2013  }}</ref> It was removed following a local referendum in October 2008.

A local referendum approved a directly elected mayor system in May 2002, by 28,601 votes to 20,578 (turnout of 27.8%).<ref>{{cite news|work=The Guardian |title=Mayoral referendum results |url= https://www.theguardian.com/society/mayorquestion/table/0,,576411,00.html |access-date=22 February 2017 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060917054043/http://society.guardian.co.uk/mayorquestion/table/0,,576411,00.html |archive-date=17 September 2006 }}</ref>

[[Mike Wolfe (politician)|Mike Wolfe]], an independent candidate, became the first directly elected mayor after an election on 17 October 2002, narrowly beating Labour Party candidate [[George Stevenson (MP)|George Stevenson]] by just 300 votes.<ref name="bbc20021018">{{cite news |work=BBC News |title=Independent elected in Stoke |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2338849.stm |date=18 October 2002 |access-date=13 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111121205/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2338849.stm |archive-date=11 January 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> The elected Mayor from 5 May 2005 to 5 June 2009 was [[Mark Meredith]] (Labour Party).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/elected-mayor/ |title=Elected Mayor – Mark Meredith |work=Stoke-on-line |access-date=10 September 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060521101306/http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/elected-mayor/ |archive-date=21 May 2006}}</ref> The 2005 election was notable because about 10% of the ballot papers were either spoiled or ineligible.<ref name="bbc20050506">{{cite news |date=6 May 2005 |work=BBC News |title=Mayoral battle is won by Labour |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4522993.stm |access-date=13 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050517184238/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4522993.stm |archive-date=17 May 2005 |url-status=live }}</ref> Meredith's election platform included a pledge to have another referendum on the post of an elected mayor.<ref>{{cite news |work=BBC News |title=Livingstone urges city mayor vote |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/6072814.stm| access-date=13 November 2006 | date=21 October 2006}}</ref> This was scheduled for May 2007 and resulted in the abolition of the mayoral system.

In October 2008, voters returned to the polls to choose between modifying the system, to Mayor and Cabinet, or abolishing the position of elected Mayor. Votes were 21,231 for abolition and 14,592 for modification on a turnout of 19.23%.<ref>{{cite news |date=24 October 2008 |url=http://www.birminghampost.net/news/2008/10/24/stoke-votes-to-lose-its-elected-mayor-65233-22110351/ |title=Stoke votes to lose its elected mayor |work=Birmingham Post |access-date=24 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025233453/http://www.birminghampost.net/news/2008/10/24/stoke-votes-to-lose-its-elected-mayor-65233-22110351/ |archive-date=25 October 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Council Leader and Cabinet system===
Following a citywide referendum abolishing the position of elected mayor, a [[cabinet-style council|Leader and Cabinet]] system was adopted in June 2009. The Leader of the council is elected by councillors. Each cabinet member makes the decisions on their portfolio area and explains the decisions at the monthly cabinet meetings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/council-leader-and-cabinet/|title=Leader and Cabinet system|work=Stoke-on-Trent Council|access-date=28 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307134936/http://www.stoke.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/council-leader-and-cabinet/|archive-date=7 March 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> The current leader of the council is Cllr Jane Ashworth.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stoke.gov.uk/news/article/1297/stoke-on-trent_city_council_leader_unveils_cabinet_of_talent_and_maturity |title=Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader unveils cabinet of talent and maturity  |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=25 May 2023 |website=Stoke-on-Trent City Council |access-date=12 May 2023 |quote=}}</ref>

===Councillor representation===
{{for|historical political control and leadership|Stoke-on-Trent City Council elections}}

Since the [[2023 Stoke-on-Trent City Council election|2023 local elections]] the council has been controlled by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet the nine most powerful Labour politicians now running Stoke-on-Trent City Council |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/gallery/meet-nine-most-powerful-labour-8469580 |work=StokeonTrentLive |date=25 May 2023 |access-date=28 May 2023 }}</ref> Between 2015 and 2023 no party had overall control of the city council.<ref>{{cite news |title=Conservative/Independent coalition to continue at Stoke-on-Trent City Council |url=https://staffslive.co.uk/2019/05/conservatives-and-city-independents-to-continue-coalition-at-stoke-on-trent-city-council/ |access-date=14 December 2019 |work=StaffsLive |date=15 May 2019}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"|Party
! Councillors<ref>{{cite web|title=City Councillors by Party|url=http://www.moderngov.stoke.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0|publisher=[[Stoke-on-Trent City Council]]|access-date=28 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528120642/http://www.moderngov.stoke.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0|archive-date=28 May 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}|| style="text-align:center;"| 29
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}|| style="text-align:center;"| 14
|-
| {{Party name with colour|City Independents}} || style="text-align:center;"| 1
|}

===Members of Parliament===
{{See also|List of Parliamentary constituencies in Staffordshire}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies|Constituency]]
! [[List of MPs elected in the 2015 United Kingdom general election|Member of Parliament]]
! colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;" | [[List of political parties in the United Kingdom|Political party]]
! Year first elected
! Notes
|-
| [[Stoke-on-Trent Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent Central]]
| [[Gareth Snell]]
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|[[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]
|Previously held the seat 2017–2019
|-
| [[Stoke-on-Trent North (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent North]]
| [[David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North MP)|David Williams]]
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|[[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]
|
|-
| [[Stoke-on-Trent South (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent South]]
| [[Allison Gardner]]
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
| [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]
|
|}