An interesting article. I think that many Stoke people could have written it.
A couple of point s
"It’s not all grim. The new Staffordshire University, created from a polytechnic with EU regional development money, has gained a high reputation for information technology and film studies. A “ceramic valley” enterprise park (more EU money) is discovering, inter alia, new uses of specialised pottery in hi-tech industries."....
where does he think that the " EU" money came from?.... and the decline happened whilst we are in the EU.
“There is an association in many people’s minds between the EU and UK membership since 1973, because of everything that has changed in Stoke since then — the decline of the pits and pots,” he said.".......
I don't think that there is, I think that most see the decline of the traditional industries as part of a general UK decline in industry towards services with globalisation
“European immigration is also a big, big issue. There is a resentment at new foreign faces and voices in a traditionally parochial place that’s long had a bit of migration but never very much.” Stoke is 95% white and English born.....
there's not a lot wrong with being parochial nor white, that's an imposed agenda...we are actually very accommodating but perhaps we don't like to see our culture "threatened" as it 'seems' to be... perhaps in light of the stories from places like Rotherham perhaps Stokies are defensive and have WRONGLY blamed this onnthe EU but perhaps they actually believe that " we" should run our own affairs and look after our"own" people first and conflate the two issues ir they equally don't want interference from the EU..... they are entitled to that view.
"A vote against Europe was, whether consciously or not, a vote against a modern world which passed them by. Part of that modern world was membership of the EU.".....
BREXIT wasn't a vote against Europe. A bit condescending that... perhaps a lot of potters are actually patriotic and perhaps the author is a Remainer.