Tory leadership: Stoke-on-Trent hosts Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss debate

By Joanne GallacherPolitical reporter, BBC Stoke

“Is he the guy from Friends?,” one voter asks while looking at a photo of one of the candidates vying to be the country’s next prime minister.

As Stoke-on-Trent prepares to host a debate for the Tory leadership, you could say neither Rishi Sunak nor Liz Truss are really cutting through.

Not for the first time, the city is proving a key political battleground for the Conservative Party.

Whoever takes over needs to be retaining former red wall seats like these.

The two candidates will appear live on BBC One later to be put through their paces by Sophie Raworth in front of a live studio audience.

Image source, Getty Images Image caption,

Stoke-on-Trent is a key political battleground after flipping from Labour to the Conservatives in 2019

The constituencies of Stoke-on-Trent North and Central are areas which flipped from Labour to Conservative in 2019.

An important question for Ms Truss and Mr Sunak is how can they capitalise on the party’s popularity under Boris Johnson in areas like this – is it through policy or personality?

If the latter, they could be in trouble. In Hanley, the heart of Jo Gideon’s Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency, people I stopped to speak to had trouble naming the final two from photographs.

When shown Mr Sunak, answers included: “Is he the guy from Friends?”

Few managed to name Liz Truss but guessed she worked in politics.

Image caption,

Sophie Gardener had concerns over both candidates’ records over Covid-19

Shopping in Hanley town centre, Sophie Gardener recognises the photograph of Mr Sunak but pointing at Ms Truss, she says she’s not sure who she is.

She knows Rishi Sunak was in charge of the country’s finances and added: “It worries me slightly the fact that both have been involved with the Covid lead up and neither have been entirely successful.

“But it is what it is and somebody has to win.”

If their personalities aren’t winning them over, can the candidates do it with policies? How would they help people living here?

Image source, Getty Images Image caption,

Stoke-on-Trent has high levels of deprivation and locals are keen to hear more about government plans for levelling up

This was a Brexit voting area: In the 2016 referendum 69% who cast their vote did so to leave the European Union.

Boris Johnson pledged to “get Brexit done” and for many in Stoke-on-Trent, he was a man of his word.

But there is a bigger discussion now – levelling up.

Mr Johnson called it the “defining mission” of his government and the aim was to give people and communities that feel they have been left behind a chance to catch up.

Stoke-on-Trent received £56m to redevelop the area, with plans including building a 3,600-seat arena, 285 new homes and a three-star hotel.

However, there has been little mention of what was a key theme of the Conservatives’ 2019 election campaign from the two leadership contenders.

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Thomas Jameson says he wants both candidates to see what the city is like

By the city’s bus station, Thomas Jameson said he was pleased the two politicians would debate here.

“They can see what the city’s like and how we live,” he said.

“They can see what working life is like for people with the cost of living crisis… some people have to go to food banks.”

Stoke-on-Trent has become a symbol of struggling Britain.

It is characterised by high levels of deprivation where people queue for food banks and communities come together to help each other manage as cost of living pressures increase.

The Indices of Multiple Deprivation for 2019 ranks the city as the 13th most deprived local authority area out of 317 in England.

And the percentage of children living in poverty is about 24% – higher than the national average of 16%.

Image caption,

Alex Banks says he agrees with levelling up and wants to see a strong community in Stoke-on-Trent

Alex Banks said although he was not a Conservative voter, he broadly agreed with the principles of levelling up.

“I have a general sense of what levelling up means, strengthen the economy, strengthen the people,” said the Staffordshire University student.

“Levelling up can mean many different things to many different people, so it’s about levelling up in the right way… building a strong community in Stoke-on-Trent and building infrastructure that helps.”

Local politicians are also worried about the rising costs of inflation and the impact that has on the economic growth of the area and residents.

The city’s Conservative council leader Abi Brown has written to government to ask how levelling up will continue as financial pressures increase.

Conservative votes are needed in “red wall, left behind and in need of levelling up” areas like Stoke-on-Trent, she said.

“To stay in No 10, places like ours matter.”

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