Stoke-on-Trent City Council

The local authority derives its powers and functions from the Local Government Act 1972 and subsequent legislation. For the purposes of local government, Stoke-on-Trent is a non-metropolitan area of England. As a unitary authority, Stoke-on-Trent City Council has the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, it processes local planning applications, it is responsible for housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

A 2008 report by the Stoke-on-Trent Governance Commission to the Secretary of State for Local Government was highly critical of the political system then in use in the city.[3][4] This led to changes to the electoral map in May 2011: From a council of 60 members representing 20 wards with three councillors each, the size of the council was reduced to 44 councillors representing 37 wards (31 single member wards, five two-member wards and one three-member ward).[5]

Since the first election in 1973 political control of the council was held by the following parties:[6] The council is currently led by Cllr Abi Brown (Conservative).

On 4 May 2020, Mohammed Pervez, then leader of the Labour opposition and councillor for Moorcroft ward, announced his resignation after 14 years, citing "work-life balance" and a decision to "focus more on my daytime job and family".[7] The following day, local newspaper Stoke Sentinel quoted a Staffordshire Police spokesperson saying they were investigating Mr Pervez following a complaint about an unspecified "alleged criminal offence".[8]

Deputy leader of the Labour opposition, Cllr. Paul Shotton, took over Mr Pervez's former opposition leadership role on an interim basis.[9] Moorcroft ward will have no councillor representation for at least a year, as local elections have been postponed until May 2021 at the earliest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]

In 2014, Cllr. Paul Shotton, then deputy council leader, was reported to have "frequently" used false names to contact BBC Radio Stoke to praise the council's and his own work. This resulted in his suspension by the Labour party and the "loss of senior council roles".[11] In 2014, Private Eye magazine awarded Cllr Shotton the "Rotten Boroughs award" for media manipulation.[12]