Draft for the 50th HoS List Challenge:
Survival of the Reddest:
Mayors of the Stoke-on-Trent Borough Council:
1910-1915: George Leamington (Pro-Federation Independent)
1910 (Majority) def. Anti-Federation Independents, Conservatives, Liberals, Labour
1913 (Coalition with Liberals and "Longton" Labour) def. Independents, Unionists, Liberals, Labour, Independent "Longton" Labour
1915-1917: Elias Hughes (Liberal)
1917-1919: Thomas Wild (Independent)
1919-1925: Thomas Richards (National Democratic)
1919 (Coalition with Liberals and ILP) def. Independents, Unionists, Independent Labour, Liberals, Socialist Labour, "Continuity" Labour
1922 (Coalition with Liberals and Independents) def. Independents, Unionists, Communists, Liberals, Independent Labour
1925-1925: Gregory Wilkinson (Independent)
1925 (Coalition with Unionists and Liberals) def: Independents, National Democratic, Communists, Unionists, Liberals, Independent Labour
Mayors (Leaders 1928-1985) of the Stoke-on-Trent City Council:
1925-1928: Gregory Wilkinson (Independent)
1928-1931: Leslie Keeling (National Democratic)
1928 (Coalition with Independents) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists, Independent Labour, Liberals
1931-1937: Samuel Finney (Communist)
1931 (Coalition with Independents) def. National Democrats, Independents, Unionists, New, Liberals
1934 (Coalition with Independents) def. National Democrats, Independents, Unionists, Liberals, New
1937-1944: Thomas Horwood (National Democratic)
1937 (Coalition with Independents) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists, Liberals
1939 (Wartime Grand Coalition) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists, Liberals
1944-1946: William Herbert Kemp (Liberal)
1946-1950: Horace Barks (Communist)
1946 (Majority) def. National Democratic, Progressives, Independents
1949 (Coalition with Independents) def. National Democratic, Independents, Unionists
1950-1958: "Red" Fanny Deakin (Communist)
1952 (Majority) def. National Democratic, Unionists, Independents
1955 (Majority) def. Unionists, National Democratic, Independents
1958-1961: William Hancock (National Democratic)
1958 (Coalition with Independents) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists, Liberals
1961-1966: "Red" Fanny Deakin (Communist)
1961 (Majority) def. National Democratic, Unionists, Independents
1964 (Majority) def. National Democratic, Unionists, Independents, New Liberals
1966-1967: Lenny Barber (Communist)
1967-1970: Samuel Clowes (National Democratic)
1967 (Majority) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists
1970-1973: Lenny Barber (Communist)
1970 (Coalition with Independents) def. National Democratic, Independents, Unionists
1973-1977: Samuel Clowes (National Democratic)
1973 (Coalition with Independents) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists
1976 (Majority) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists
1977-1979: John Forrester (National Democratic)
1979-1985: Ted Smith (National Democratic)
1979 (Coalition with Independents) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists, National Front
1982 (Majority) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists
Leaders of the Stoke-on-Trent District Council:
1985-1988: Ted Smith (National Democratic)
1985 (Coalition with Independents) def. Communists, Independents, Unionists, Residents - NO to Manchester!
1988-1991: Stephen Wedgwood (Communist)
1988 (Coalition with Independents) def. National Democratic, Unionists, Independents, Residents - NO to Manchester!
1991-1998: Peter Maxwell (Unionist)
1991 (Coalition with Independents and Residents) def. Communists, Independents, National Democratic, Residents - NO to Manchester!
1994 (Coalition with NDP and Independents) def. Communists, Independents, National Democratic, Residents - NO to Manchester!
1997 (Coalition with NDP and Independents) def. Communists, Independents, National Democratic, Independence
Leaders of the Stoke-on-Trent City Council (reconstituted):
1998-1998: Peter Maxwell (Unionist)
1998-2000: Roger Ibbs (Unionist)
2000-2004: Pauline Joynson (Communist)
2000 (Coalition with Independents) def. National Democratic, Unionists, Independents, Independence
2003 (Coalition with Independents) def. Independence, National Democratic, Independents, Unionists
2004-2006: Jim Cessford (Communist)
2006-2011: Dave Conway (Independence)
2006 (Coalition with Independents and Unionists) def. Communist, National Democratic, Independents, Unionists
2009 (Coalition with Independents and Unionists) def. Communist, National Democratic, Independents, Unionists
2011-2012: Melanie Baddeley (Independence)
2012-2015: Thomas Reynolds (National Democratic)
2012 (Coalition with Communists and Eco-Libs) def. Communists, Independence, Independents, Eco-Liberals
2015-2020: Mohammed Pervez (Communist)
2015 (Coalition with Independents) def. Independence, National Democratic, Independents, Eco-Liberals
2018 (Majority) def. Independence, National Democratic, Eco-Liberals, Free Trentham, Independents
2020-2024: Andy Polshaw (Communist)
2021 (Coalition with NDP) def. Independence, National Democratic, Eco-Liberals, Free Trentham, Independents
2024-2026: Jane Ashworth (National Democratic)
2024 (Coalition with Eco-Libs, Free Trentham and Independents) def. Communists, Independence, Eco-Liberals, Free Trentham, Unionists, Independents
Leaders of the North Staffordshire Borough Council:
2026-202X: Paul Roberts (Unionist)
2026 (Coalition with Independence and Independents) def. National Democrats, Communists, Independence, Eco-Liberals, Independents
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Communists pushed into THIRD PLACE in North Staffordshire local election
Published 14:03 PM, 8th of May, 2026 - The Sentinel
The Communist Party of Great Britain has failed to win control of the North Staffordshire Borough Council, the successor to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the last council the Communists had a significant presence on.
When the Independence Party landslide of 2009 wiped out the last Communist MP, Pauline Joynson of Stoke-on-Trent Hanley, the party was reduced to only local representation.
The Communist Party now no longer holds first or second place in any city or borough council, raising doubts about the party's future prospects.
While communist parties are uncommon in the Western world, the Stoke-on-Trent chapter of the CPGB has long held power in the city, with beloved council leader "Red" Fanny Deakin leading the council nearly uninterrupted from 1950 to 1967.
Indeed, the CPGB led Stoke-on-Trent for 21 of the first 27 years post-WW2. During this time they initiated numerous popular but expensive regeneration schemes for Stoke, supported by more radical trade unions such as the North Staffordshire Miners' Federation (now the USSWF, United Staffordshire Socialist Workers' Federation).
Meanwhile, the moderate trade unions such as the Ceramics and Allied Trade Union affiliated with the NDP, the two parties exchanging power between themselves from 1928-1991.
Union identity and factionalism has been so core to the Stoke-on-Trent identity that the city still maintains highly above average union membership rates, with 72% of working adults being a member of a trade union.
The decline of both mining and ceramics as viable industries in Stoke has pushed both the USSWF and CATU into expanding into other fields. The two unions claim 18,032 and 25,836 members respectively, collectively making up 19% of Stoke-on-Trent's workforce. The political cleavages associated with members and families of each union, however, remain strong to this day.
The local NDP, with extra pork barrel funding from national NDP governments of the time, would also begin large infrastructure products, include the upgrading of the Meir Aerodrome into Stoke Meir Airport (SME), and the building of large estates to house overspill from Manchester in the 1970's and 80's.
In 1985, in an effort to delegitimise and reduce the powers of the local Communists, the NDP would reduce Stoke-on-Trent into a district, subservient to Staffordshire County Council. However, Forsyth's reformist Unionist government would undo this change, seeking to take advantage of vote splitting on the left.
Left-wing domination of Stoke-on-Trent City Council was indeed interrupted by the Unionists from 1991 to 2000, and then the Independence Party from 2006 to 2012. Despite this, the Communists were still a strong force in the city, most recently leading the council under Mohammed Pervez from 2015-2020, and Andy Polshaw from 2020-2024.
The merging of the unitary authority of Stoke-on-Trent with the more rural boroughs of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands was allegedly planned by the NDP to weaken the Communists on the local level, by forcing local elections into a two-horse race between the Unionists and the NDP, much like on the national level.
Former Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader and Communist member Andy Polshaw, giving a teary speech at his count after losing his seat, had this to say: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to my city, to my party, to everyone who has supported me and my comrades. I promise that I will not rest, will not stop fighting for the good people of Stoke. The ideals behind this movement will survive. The party will survive. We... will survive"
The Communists now find themselves in a struggle to stay alive, asking themselves what it means to be a far-left party in 21st century Britain.
Time will only tell what path they take.
Notes:
Liberals: #D0AD18
Independence: #0E7C61
you are loved and you are valid <3
Longton Labour 1910's
Conflict between NDP-supporting NSMFPW/CATU (1906-1949/1949-present) and Communist-supporting NSMF/USSWF (1886-2000/1981-present)
John Forrester NDP Leader post 1965
Ted Smith NDP Leader post 1979
