Tory from Trentham makes unusual choice for Labour
MOST stories offering a suspenseful plot, an underdog battling against the odds, a sinister villain and a barely believable twist at the end tend to be works of fiction.
But yesterday's election of a new leader for Stoke-on-Trent City Council proved that the truth is often far stranger.
There was certainly no shortage of suspense in a secret ballot that went to four rounds, and even then only picked a leader by five votes in the thrilling head-to-head decider.
BNP leader Alby Walker did an excellent job of casting himself as the villain of the piece by throwing his political rattle around the chamber when his nine-strong group only managed to deliver eight votes to back his challenge.
Ross Irving certainly proved that you should never write off an underdog when the leader of a nine-member group emerged with 26 votes.
Any punter betting on a Tory from Trentham snatching the top political post in Labour-dominated Stoke-on-Trent would surely have collected a five-figure winnings.
The incredible twist in the plot, which gifted him victory over the pundits' favourite, Brian Ward, came in the form of the politically unlikely decision by the dwindling Labour group to vote Conservative.
This, coupled with the absence of the BNP, created a decisive final swing for Mr Irving and provided the majority he needed to take power.
Of course no story would be complete without a dashing hero, and in this case it was the wrongly-maligned Mr Ward.
Blurton's 'silver fox' had been the focus of intense speculation in the run-up to the ballot about how closely he was linked with the BNP.
Some commentators had even claimed that he had orchestrated secret deals to hand cabinet seats to the far-right party in return for crucial votes.
He had always strenuously denied the inflammatory rumours, which were fuelled to some extent by mischievous messages from the BNP camp.
But when Mr Walker's group stomped out of the chamber it was abundantly clear that their determined efforts to cajole the independent leader into an alliance had been rejected.
Cruelly, Mr Ward paid the political price for his principles by losing the leadership election.
But it would have been a hollow victory to seize power, only to have to share it with a party which has now demonstrated so clearly its opposition to democracy, honesty and progress.
Of course the transition of power in the city to a new system of governance was always likely to throw up dramas and dissent.
But as all the excitement subsides, what the city really needs from its council now is a more mundane tale of political unity, co-operation and quiet but determined progress.
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