UK Town of Culture

Allison Gardner Excerpts

Wednesday 7th January 2026 Westminster Hall

[Dr Allison Gardner (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for securing this debate. I am delighted to speak today to shine a spotlight on Longton, a proud town in my constituency and a place where culture does not just sit in museums but runs through everyday life. Longton stands proud among Stoke-on-Trent’s six towns—five not six, Mr Arnold Bennett—all of which retain their own identity.

Longton’s culture is inseparable from its history. It made a significant contribution to the UK’s heritage and culture through our proud pottery industry, which to this day still ships British products all over the world. Duchess China provides its china to the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and Sarah Rose provides china to No. 10—we are everywhere. Longton was once at the beating heart of the industry, and visitors from all over the world now come to marvel at our pottery heritage at the beloved Gladstone Pottery Museum, home of “The Great Pottery Throw Down”. But Longton’s heritage is not just a relic of its past. The skills, creativity and pride forged through generations of pottery and craft continue to shape our future. The ceramics industry has faced real challenges, but there is an enormous opportunity to grow tourism and breathe new life into our many heritage buildings.

Local businesses are already capitalising on the opportunity to showcase our culture. The Kiln at Number 12 offers visitors pottery, painting and hands-on craft experiences. I am sure Members have seen those fish-shaped drinking jugs—they are from the Gluggle Jug factory, in my constituency. Roslyn works, a grade II listed pot bank, is now an entrepreneurial centre that showcases the work of brilliant local artisans and hosts the smallest pottery kiln in the country. Launch It, which operates in Longton town hall, is a local hub for young entrepreneurs, creatives, artists and makers to seek business and start-up support—supporting new arts, crafts and creative businesses to thrive.

Our culture extends beyond pottery to arts and music. In our town centre, we have beautiful murals commemorating the world wars, as well as commemorating the world-renowned Belstaff brand, which started in Longton and now sells clothes all over the globe. There are plans for another huge mural opposite our train station to commemorate our proud pottery heritage, plus a new statue outside our town hall celebrating female potters. Music is central to Longton. At Methodist Central Hall, we have frequent choirs, including Stoke male voice choir.

We are incredibly lucky to have Urban Wilderness, a charity that delivers place-based events and arts programmes to empower our local community. It has recently secured funding to turn an old bank into a new art centre, expanding on its Moony Club programme—a free-to-access arts programme in Longton Exchange. In 2023, Urban Wilderness started its famous Longton carnival and pig walk parade. It is based on a local heritage story about Mayor John Aynsley, who won a bet with the Duke of Sutherland by walking a pig through the centre of Longton, thereby winning the Queen’s parkland for the people of Longton.

I thank Isla Telford at Urban Wilderness for putting forward Longton’s bid for the UK town of culture, and Roz Ryan, in the vibrant Longton Exchange, for putting the idea forward. Their bid proposal will look into themes of work and play, young people, and the legacy of our great ceramic heritage, including our canals and our connections to coal. They will be working with multiple partners to deliver a future-focused bid that builds on the centenary of Stoke-on-Trent and celebrates Longton’s unique blend of industrial manufacture, play and connectivity.

Longton’s story is not just a local one. It is a story of British industry, British creativity and British communities refusing to give up. I am confident that, with the right support, Longton can continue to be a vibrant town centre, and that it would be a great UK town of culture.