I love these pieces because they offer a real insight into real people. No studios, no makeup, just conversations that I think offer the best angle on the current state of play. Hats off.
Do you honestly think the Guardian don't have an agenda in mind when editing these videos??? Come on. They are trying to paint UKIP out to be a protest party. The fact is that UKIP will take over from Labour in the North of England and Wales at the next GE.
UKIP isnt a protest party? their ultimate purpose was Brexit, which they have achieved. I personally can't wait to see them fade into irrelevance. They're an absolute joke of a party.
There is a noticeable difference between older residents and younger ones in places like Stoke. The older residents have a sense of dignity and self-worth that is sorely lacking in the younger ones, and it's not just a result of the wisdom that age brings.
I was a stoke girl people were hard working but then it was a industrial city lots of jobs in the mines pottery factories what have the young got now so sad to see this it is a dreadful place older people have dignity Stoke on Trent was called the Holy city on the water Wish we could make it great again so so sad 😥
It's called 'Apathy''. It's what happens when you have voted for years, but whosoever you vote for, has only *their* agendas, and quickly forget who voted them in, in the first place. Things never change in places like Stoke on Trent.
I'm very late to videos in this series, though the fundamentals haven't changed. The scenes depicted in this one in particular are so sad. It's terrible that people feel deprived of influence. Many people might laugh, look down their noses or just feel glad they don't live in some of the areas shown, but ultimately these places are in our country (assuming you're British), and politicians have a collective responsibility to improve the lot of the populace, particularly in areas like this. Some of the deprivation in the UK is shocking for an advanced western economy.
I didn't vote. I'm from Stoke & I couldn't be bothered. I've voted since I was 18, now 37 years. Think it's a waste of time. It hasn't bettered my life or now my son's. We seem to be living the same hardships in childhood.
Great honesty for a change. Gareth Snell looks like a bloated middle class potato. Stoke is crumbling and Labours only idea is more identity politics and zero real solutions.
serjthereturn Defence is vital to the British Isles, and any way with Defence ranked 7th in public spending isn't there anywhere else the money could come from? and what is more positive?
That sounds like a figure she picked up somewhere. Milion instead of bilon. guess it is the cost to keep trident submarines operational for one year. Haven't looked it up. Could also be the price of building one sub. Point is its expensive.
If you want to have a protest vote don't vote UKIP. Vote for The Incredible Flying Brick. That really would send shockwaves around the world of politics.
If the cameraman had turned 360 at most of the locations they filmed in, you would have seen some of the great regeneration work that has been going on around the city for the last 10-15 years. All of the areas they filmed in are also due for regeneration, which is why they are becoming run down. Shame you couldn't give a more holistic view of the city.
I lived in Stoke for 4 years in the late 90's and the Asian community was so ambitious, they were all going to be professionals. The white community had started to give up - decades of poor education, housing and lack of ambition were generations old and it looks like its not got any better
David Cooper I've lived in Stoke all my life and one thing that really frustrates me about reports like this is that they focus on some of the most run-down parts of the city. There are so many great parts of Stoke, full of culture and life and community, but the media always seem to show the odd shitty little alleyways and closed shops instead. This causes a bigger problem - it makes it harder to get people to invest in Stoke, slows regeneration etc. So I think this negative portrayal is exaggerated and really harmful. Stoke isn't this bad I promise!
rockguitar2012 I agree. It would be better to consciously visit various neighborhoods of varying economic status to get a more complete picture of the political mood of a city.
Labour have never done anything for Stoke on Trent and the only reason they stay in power is because many people know that the only other alternative is Conservatives who are literally destroying people's lives with ill conceited benefit policies that undermine working people here. Many people are working on the Black Market and which is why crime figures are rocketing at a time when Tories have drastically reduced Police numbers. UKIP had an excellent opportunity to reassure disfranchised voters and failed to capitalise. Steven Woolfe should have been parachuted into this contest he would have put his points across with relation to his own background and experiences. He left UKIP as UKIP had simply lost their way
Very interest analysis and definitely a case study for disconnection of current democracy and party system from common people as well as severe lack of education. People are voting on xenophobes, economical neoliberal scums thinking they will be listened. Absolutely sad, but there is also a lot to blame on the Workers Party.
The guy who just got out of prison and lives in a council flat has the most disgusting sense of entitlement I've ever seen: "They need to build better housing for us" "They need to entertain us with Youth Clubs" "They need to stop arresting us when we break the law" What a terribly weak minded young man, although he's right about one thing .... Labour are finished.
I don't vote and most of the people I know don't I think people are to busy trying to survive and they know no matter what nothing is going to change so what's the point
You get 💩 💩 done by bustin a move in the correct direction... With shops and factories gone - There's still workers needed in the service industries - nurses - all building trades operatives and drivers in general..
You missed the scout hut 200 yards from there. The new development over your shoulder on the bridge. The small businesses on the road under that bridge, the park with the bowls club 30 meters from that estate. Stoke has some real problems. Big problems. its good ypu report them, but Stoke is great too.
great video the labour activist did brilliant and the young man displayed some political knowledge I wish Gareth would dump the Mac and I hope honestly he support JC.
Good on them for going over there and trying to engage with the estate. But the £600billion figure she used for Trident had me cringing. That's 12 times our annual military budget xD.
Quietus Q yeah she misspoke! 250 billion as published in guardian. to keep us safe from the Chinese, who have won the contract to build our nuclear power station. no conflict of interest or safety!
Labour party have been in power for lengthy periods during the last 70 years in post-war UK. What have they done for the working class? Ask yourselves that.
Nuttall was a nutjob, but don't expect anything at all from Snell. At least the Monster Raving Loony bloke would have abolished gravity and the compulsary serving of asparagus.
Labour are out of touch, which is why people in their constituencies believe voting is pointless. Labour are too busy spending time and money on changes that won't help, or harm the working class. Most people couldn't care less about social justice, fairer courts, gender equality, the supposed pay gap, or any of the other rubbish that Labour politicians feverishly pursue.
They are not out of touch, they just think that the working classes should not exist. they would prefer we went away or we uneducated factory workers working hard and then going back to the slums.
POLITICS AND THE ECONOMY ARE BOTH TOTALLY LOADED TOWARDS LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST THIS SUITS THE ESTABLISHMENT JUST FINE!! DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU VOTE FOR NOTHING WILL ALTER ITS A MATTER OF ECONOMICS THE CLOSER THE MONEY IS TO THE CENTRE THE SAFER IT IS TO THOSE WHO OWN IT!! SORRY NORTH OF ENGLAND BUT YOUR NOT IT AND NEVER WILL BE TRAGIC BUT TRUE!!!
These are the best political videos around! No grand narratives, no flashy sound bites, just real people expressing their views
I Was just about to post the same.
OIlie Warren Absolutely agree.
the Guardian is still advocating for the "cheap foreign labour" narrative. Bu at least there will be Brexit.
More of these... The people!
The London labour party has no clue what's happening in the north of England and have shown themselves up here
I love these pieces because they offer a real insight into real people. No studios, no makeup, just conversations that I think offer the best angle on the current state of play. Hats off.
Do you honestly think the Guardian don't have an agenda in mind when editing these videos???
Come on. They are trying to paint UKIP out to be a protest party.
The fact is that UKIP will take over from Labour in the North of England and Wales at the next GE.
Of course they do but for The Guardian it's pretty nuetral, far better than what you'll see on the bbc.
bilbo baggins my point is really that regardless of the agenda that the guardian clearly has they are honey about it and frame their videos this way.
UKIP isnt a protest party? their ultimate purpose was Brexit, which they have achieved. I personally can't wait to see them fade into irrelevance. They're an absolute joke of a party.
inb4 u pigeon hole me - i have no time for labour either
There is a noticeable difference between older residents and younger ones in places like Stoke. The older residents have a sense of dignity and self-worth that is sorely lacking in the younger ones, and it's not just a result of the wisdom that age brings.
I was a stoke girl people were hard working but then it was a industrial city lots of jobs in the mines pottery factories what have the young got now so sad to see this it is a dreadful place older people have dignity Stoke on Trent was called the Holy city on the water Wish we could make it great again so so sad 😥
Probably because they grew up with a life to be proud of, in a town they were proud of. Now that's been taken away by things outside of their control.
huge fan of John and these videos. Great journalism
It's really sad when city looks like set for post-apo movie :/
Those who don't vote shouldn't complain about anything.
It's called 'Apathy''. It's what happens when you have voted for years, but whosoever you vote for, has only *their* agendas, and quickly forget who voted them in, in the first place. Things never change in places like Stoke on Trent.
I'm very late to videos in this series, though the fundamentals haven't changed. The scenes depicted in this one in particular are so sad. It's terrible that people feel deprived of influence. Many people might laugh, look down their noses or just feel glad they don't live in some of the areas shown, but ultimately these places are in our country (assuming you're British), and politicians have a collective responsibility to improve the lot of the populace, particularly in areas like this. Some of the deprivation in the UK is shocking for an advanced western economy.
Fantastic video, really shows life outside London in the forgotten areas of politics.
"This community needs change" - Labour, who have been in power for 60+ years. Lol.
67 years under Labour control and this is the result. People of Stoke deserve better.
KPOPFANBOYUK Well, don't be too harsh.
Someone shot a zombie film in Hanley stoke and they didn’t even need to change the area. It was the perfect look for a post apocalypse zombie film.
The film was "The Girl with All the Gifts" 2015. Shot in the old bus station before it was demolished.
I didn't vote. I'm from Stoke & I couldn't be bothered. I've voted since I was 18, now 37 years. Think it's a waste of time. It hasn't bettered my life or now my son's. We seem to be living the same hardships in childhood.
A journalist getting on a BUS! Do you see the Mirror, Times, Telegraph, Express, Sun reporters doing that? Not fucking likely! Fair play Mr Harris
He went on the bus the same way someone gets in a jeep for a safari..
No Gareth Snell. You need to focus on the worst parts of Stoke.
Great honesty for a change. Gareth Snell looks like a bloated middle class potato. Stoke is crumbling and Labours only idea is more identity politics and zero real solutions.
Absolutely LOVE that description of Gareth Snell 😂
He’s gone now
Lol. He looks useless
More of these videos please.
OMG What a bloody nightmare this country has become ((
did she really try to say that trident costs us £600bn?
CrispyChips wrong figure, point remains
serjthereturn with public spending of defence at £45bn, the point doesn't stand
yes it does. If we didn't spend so much money on wars, arms and nuclear weapons, we could invest it in more positive things
serjthereturn Defence is vital to the British Isles, and any way with Defence ranked 7th in public spending isn't there anywhere else the money could come from? and what is more positive?
That sounds like a figure she picked up somewhere. Milion instead of bilon. guess it is the cost to keep trident submarines operational for one year. Haven't looked it up. Could also be the price of building one sub. Point is its expensive.
If you want to have a protest vote don't vote UKIP. Vote for The Incredible Flying Brick. That really would send shockwaves around the world of politics.
great work from the journo
The Anywhere but Westminster series are the main thing holding the Guardian up.
Sadly Labour lost the plot..
Labour Tory Labour Tory Labour fucking Tory.... Sick of it....
"this community deserves change", so vote for the same party that has served the constituency since it was created? Some 'change'...
KEEP HIM OUT - dis is wat democracy looks like
There will be more and more constituencies where fewer than 50% bother to vote.
These Labour activists are wasting their time. I doubt these people are registered.
If the cameraman had turned 360 at most of the locations they filmed in, you would have seen some of the great regeneration work that has been going on around the city for the last 10-15 years. All of the areas they filmed in are also due for regeneration, which is why they are becoming run down. Shame you couldn't give a more holistic view of the city.
I'm just being a pedant here, but turning 360° would end up facing the same way. 180° is behind
I lived in Stoke for 4 years in the late 90's and the Asian community was so ambitious, they were all going to be professionals. The white community had started to give up - decades of poor education, housing and lack of ambition were generations old and it looks like its not got any better
These people shouldn't be allowed to vote
I represent The People's Anagramic Party for Changing 'Stoke' to 'Eskot'. As you might have guessed we are a single issue party. Change now!
Living far away in BC, this picture of English provincial life is saddening.
David Cooper I've lived in Stoke all my life and one thing that really frustrates me about reports like this is that they focus on some of the most run-down parts of the city. There are so many great parts of Stoke, full of culture and life and community, but the media always seem to show the odd shitty little alleyways and closed shops instead. This causes a bigger problem - it makes it harder to get people to invest in Stoke, slows regeneration etc. So I think this negative portrayal is exaggerated and really harmful. Stoke isn't this bad I promise!
rockguitar2012 I agree. It would be better to consciously visit various neighborhoods of varying economic status to get a more complete picture of the political mood of a city.
Compulsory viewing for all labour party members and MPs. brilliant Journalism.
Very informative video. Thanks.
man stoke looks bleek
You did not see 99% of the city centre, whole video was to make you think that way.
Labour have never done anything for Stoke on Trent and the only reason they stay in power is because many people know that the only other alternative is Conservatives who are literally destroying people's lives with ill conceited benefit policies that undermine working people here. Many people are working on the Black Market and which is why crime figures are rocketing at a time when Tories have drastically reduced Police numbers. UKIP had an excellent opportunity to reassure disfranchised voters and failed to capitalise. Steven Woolfe should have been parachuted into this contest he would have put his points across with relation to his own background and experiences. He left UKIP as UKIP had simply lost their way
Shouldn't he have taken 1 Labour, 1 Conservative and 1 UKIP activist to visit that guy?
That's the guardian for you, cheerleaders of Labour
Very interest analysis and definitely a case study for disconnection of current democracy and party system from common people as well as severe lack of education. People are voting on xenophobes, economical neoliberal scums thinking they will be listened. Absolutely sad, but there is also a lot to blame on the Workers Party.
Who are you gonna vote for, the EU 😲
It’s grim up north.
The guy who just got out of prison and lives in a council flat has the most disgusting sense of entitlement I've ever seen:
"They need to build better housing for us"
"They need to entertain us with Youth Clubs"
"They need to stop arresting us when we break the law"
What a terribly weak minded young man, although he's right about one thing .... Labour are finished.
what do you expect, the left has been winning votes by promising free shit for longer than he's been alive.
‘Big part of the heritage is still there’ - zooms in on chav!!! 🤣🤣
UK IS SO BLOODY SAD!!!!
This was excellent. The real story is one of disenfrancisment of large parts of the population due to mass unemployment and poverty.
what are YOU going to do for your country?
Superb report. PLP take note
I don't vote and most of the people I know don't I think people are to busy trying to survive and they know no matter what nothing is going to change so what's the point
The guardian are the problem
The Guardian are the reason for unemployment and electoral political apathy in Stoke...?
4:22 finally some decent thinking in these videos
My lil brother
The guy in the end can't even string a sentence together, and wooow what's with the swearing in the end?
Lalalaland Lalalaland expressing his views you clown
Lalalaland Lalalaland that’s just stoke
9:35 Where did she gett the £600 billion price tag for trident?
I think she said million but the subtitles said billion
You get 💩 💩 done by bustin a move in the correct direction... With shops and factories gone - There's still workers needed in the service industries - nurses - all building trades operatives and drivers in general..
Lol i know that lad singin under the bridge
Look at those green scruffs at 0:17.
Who'd vote for that?
Dunno mate, but 0:13 - I'd have turned to face her for a _real_ kiss!
👁 👁
👄 wot a lovely lady!!!
You missed the scout hut 200 yards from there. The new development over your shoulder on the bridge. The small businesses on the road under that bridge, the park with the bowls club 30 meters from that estate. Stoke has some real problems. Big problems. its good ypu report them, but Stoke is great too.
8:35 all big and tough but he has no self esteem, tragic
great video
the labour activist did brilliant
and the young man displayed some political knowledge
I wish Gareth would dump the Mac
and I hope honestly he support JC.
Good on them for going over there and trying to engage with the estate. But the £600billion figure she used for Trident had me cringing. That's 12 times our annual military budget xD.
Quietus Q
yeah she misspoke!
250 billion as published in guardian.
to keep us safe from the Chinese, who have won the contract to build our nuclear power station.
no conflict of interest or safety!
Didn’t want Corbyn that would have helped instead they are happy to have Starmer 🤣🤣
Look how dead it is shameless
politics is good for politician and their supporter, not for hardworking citizens
Good to get activists into the estates thougj.
Labour keeps people on benefits by giving them a pay rise every time they get in ! Stoke on Trent case in point !
The reporter clearly tried to get the guy at the end to vote labour. I prefer reporters to remain neutral.
All political parties say what the people want to hear when election day is near. After, it's a different story.
..Ted Maul reports...
Wot you want for stoke the guy der
So he voted Tory 😂😂
Tories closed the youth centres .
Labour party have been in power for lengthy periods during the last 70 years in post-war UK. What have they done for the working class? Ask yourselves that.
NHS. rights. and well. homes .
Nuttall was a nutjob, but don't expect anything at all from Snell. At least the Monster Raving Loony bloke would have
abolished gravity and the compulsary serving of asparagus.
Jehovah's witness or labour party acolytes, impossible to tell the difference.
Go in Kanan
Kamen*
My brother ❤
Labour are out of touch, which is why people in their constituencies believe voting is pointless. Labour are too busy spending time and money on changes that won't help, or harm the working class. Most people couldn't care less about social justice, fairer courts, gender equality, the supposed pay gap, or any of the other rubbish that Labour politicians feverishly pursue.
They are not out of touch, they just think that the working classes should not exist. they would prefer we went away or we uneducated factory workers working hard and then going back to the slums.
Bias much?
Stupidity much?
Labour in 2017? lol
1% behind in polls
VOTE UKIP
all this media and effort towards the Stoke byelection but nothing on the Copeland byelection
Should imagine things have improved since this video was made . ??? I’m sure UKIP and the Tory’s have improved things !!!!
Y BOTHER..STOKE IS DEAD
POLITICS AND THE ECONOMY ARE BOTH TOTALLY LOADED TOWARDS LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST THIS SUITS THE ESTABLISHMENT JUST FINE!! DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU VOTE FOR NOTHING WILL ALTER ITS A MATTER OF ECONOMICS THE CLOSER THE MONEY IS TO THE CENTRE THE SAFER IT IS TO THOSE WHO OWN IT!! SORRY NORTH OF ENGLAND BUT YOUR NOT IT AND NEVER WILL BE TRAGIC BUT TRUE!!!
vote brexit only please