A newspaper poll amongst all 60 sitting councillors in Stoke-on-Trent has claimed that the BNP group leader in that city’s chambers is likely to be elected council leader should the referendum in that city vote ‘yes’ in tomorrow’s referendum on whether to maintain the office of mayor or not.

The Sentinel newspaper surveyed all 60 city councillors and found that the BNP’s Alby Walker may be in pole position to become council leader. If the voters of Stoke-on-Trent vote ‘Yes’ in tomorrow’s referendum, councillors will elect their own leader and cabinet.

In an anonymous survey, The Sentinel asked every member who they would choose as council leader. Top of the list of candidates they named was Abbey Green councillor Mr Walker.

Of 60 councillors, 57 responded to the Sentinel survey. Ten said that none of the existing councillors was up to the job. A further 15 said that they could not make up their mind who to pick. But eight councillors said that they would definitely vote for BNP group leader Mr Walker.

The survey results come a day before 186,000 city residents go to the polls. Electors will either vote ‘Yes’ for a council leader and cabinet or ‘No’, to stick with the city’s existing system of an elected mayor.

If the city votes ‘Yes’, councillors will choose their own leader from within their ranks next May. The current elected mayor, Mark Meredith, would be left to sit out the remainder of his term in office as a ‘lame duck’ leader, without support or influence.