Lacking hope, desperate for change: the UK towns devastated by Tory rule
Across Britain, the impact of austerity has reached breaking point, but few believe Labour will turn things around
June 2024
Other lives
Elaine Holland obituary
Other lives: Teacher and political activist who campaigned for green issues throughout her life
Levelling up has failed in my home town of Stoke-on-Trent. For hope there, look to the arts
Charlotte Higgins
Projects across the Potteries are bringing energy and optimism to a city still reeling from decades of decline, says Guardian culture writer Charlotte Higgins
Anywhere but Westminster
This Labour city backed Brexit and went Tory: what did it get in return? - video
In the first video of a new series of Anywhere but Westminster, John Harris and John Domokos revisit Stoke-on-Trent, the once-loyal Labour city that went totally Tory in 2019. Has 'levelling up' money made up for swingeing local cuts? Will Labour win again? And what do people working hard to turn the place around think about the future?
January 2024
One by one, England’s councils are going bankrupt – and nobody in Westminster wants to talk about it
John Harris
One in five say they will be insolvent by next year. These local crises add up to a national catastrophe that’s about to explode, says the Guardian columnist John Harris
Billionaire Bet365 boss pockets further £270m
Latest bumper payout for Denise Coates comes despite a £60m loss for 2022-23
Henry Sandon obituary
One of Britain’s leading porcelain experts who was a favourite with viewers on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow
May 2023
‘Everything has been rubbish’: Stoke voters welcome Labour comeback
Party takes back control of council in ‘red wall’ territory it aims to regain at next general election
April 2023
Former Tory MP Chris Pincher will not stand at next election
Boris Johnson’s ex-deputy chief whip, whose alleged misconduct was factor in PM’s resignation, will not contest Tamworth seat
‘Disabled children need to know it is an option’: co-creating the future of dance
Frontlinedance works in communities to remove barriers for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions – and there’s no distinction between teacher and learner
The last bottle ovens of the Potteries – in pictures
Celebrating the heritage of the Potteries, this photo exhibition shows the dark beauty of a bygone industry in a modern world and how it once thrived
March 2023
Stoke-on-Trent residents to sue council over ‘mis-sold’ solar power contracts
Travelling Homer: how the National Theatre is staging a multi-city Odyssey
January 2023
‘He doesn’t care’: Rishi Sunak is failing nurses and NHS, say voters in Stoke
In a focus group, residents of Stoke-on-Trent describe the health service as an ‘absolute mess’ and say the PM has just disappeared
November 2022
‘People’s savings are gone’: families on brink in Stoke-on-Trent
Mothers’ support network says food parcel referrals have increased by 500%, as rising energy bills sap savings
July 2022
The Card review – cheeky chappy comes up trumps in a twisty tale of social mobility
Wily upstart Denry Machin is played with picaresque charm in a witty adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s novel, empowered by the big, vivid sound of a brass band
May 2022
Police warn against vigilante action against duckling hit-and-run driver
Remote working is making the UK a more equal place – however much Jacob Rees-Mogg may sneer
Gaby Hinsliff
March 2022
Rishi Sunak has broken his promise to help with the cost of living
Corrine Boden
‘I like all of it’: Neil Baldwin, Staffordshire local hero, on a new play about his remarkable life
