Melanie Greenwood had been helping to organise a books for children drive when she heard the news of the home secretary, James Cleverly, allegedly calling Stockton a shit-hole. She said: “I was speechless. Angry. You work so hard and you think: is this what they really think of us?” She added: “The annoying thing is that it was so off the cuff. I think that is what they think about underprivileged people. It speaks a lot about what they truly believe.”
Greenwood co-owns the independent Drake the Bookshop in the town centre. A display had been hastily rearranged, away from the eyes of children, that summed up the vibe on Thursday morning. In the middle was a new activity book titled Fuck the Tories.
