“It’d be nice to get a clear out and start again”, says John Varey.

“I think a lot of people are losing grip with the Labour Party ”, the 59-year-old tells The Independent at his florist’s Blossoms in Bradford city centre.

“But they don’t do themselves any favours”, Mr Varey adds, before offering a theory about the modern-day Labour Party and those it appeals to.

“See, where they get the vote from is the people that are in the areas where it’s a green belt, and the nice houses and the thatched roofs,” he says.

Labour can trace its roots back to this West Yorkshire city, back when it was a thriving mill town, booming in the wake of the industrial revolution.

Driving along Leeds Road into the centre of Bradford, a mural illustrating the city’s vital role in Britain’s political history stands out.

A mural celebrating the centenary of the Independent Labour Party in Bradford (The Independent)

Painted on the side of the city’s Playhouse theatre in 1993, the mural marks the centenary of the establishment of…