A 30-minute news feature, hosted by Richard Whiteley and Geoff Druett. This programme is separated into three main sections. The first sees the Miners' Strike in 1984 from two perspective; one of Labour MP Kevin Barron, whose constituency has chosen a majority strike, and Conservative MP Andrew Sherwood, whose constituency have chosen to work. Filmed throughout their respective counties at various locations, this feature allows us to learn more about the communities at the heart of the...

A 30-minute news feature, hosted by Richard Whiteley and Geoff Druett. This programme is separated into three main sections. The first sees the Miners' Strike in 1984 from two perspective; one of Labour MP Kevin Barron, whose constituency has chosen a majority strike, and Conservative MP Andrew Sherwood, whose constituency have chosen to work. Filmed throughout their respective counties at various locations, this feature allows us to learn more about the communities at the heart of the Strikes. The second segment is introduced at ‘Calendar Commentary Private Bills’; a feature in which an MP is given the chance to introduce their ideas for legislation in the hopes of bringing it to Parliament. Labour MP Barry Sheerman is the guest for this segment, explaining his ideas for a bill that will provide further opportunities to young people. Finally, Druett talks with editor of the Financial Times Peter Riddell about governmental approaches to new measures and anxieties expressed in the recent Queen’s Speech of November 1984. Miners' Strikes: two perspectives: This segment looks at two communities affected by the Miner’s Strikes, through the eyes of their constituency MP’s. Kevin Barron, the Labour MP for the Rother Valley constituency, sees most pit workers on strike. Barron has been the Labour MP for Rother Valley since the last election; his constituency is largely rural, but is dominated by colliery villages built around 6 pits, which employ around 5,200 miners. Maltby is one, where Kevin himself worked for almost 20 years. Footage is shown here of The Maltby Main Colliery, with five men sitting outside the pit on strike. Barron talks with these men, and explains in a voiceover how the strikes have had a major effect on his parliamentary work. Barron argues that a lot of picket lines are not violent, but often are small groups with no police presence. It frustrates him when talks of the strike’s refer to all miners and picket lines being violent, when this is not always the case. He promotes the miners of these pits as hardworking people. Footage then cuts to what looks like a town hall in Maltby, wherein a soup kitchen is held. Barron finds the resurgence of this idea (having read about similar establishments when researching the 1926 strikes) amazing, and praises the impact of community engagement. There is also footage seen of people queuing outside of food banks on weekdays for parcels, due to lack of money in the home. He argues that people at large do not understand what is happening in these communities, but the communities themselves are learning political lessons during this time, that he thinks will influence these areas in future years. He discusses fundraising of all kinds in the communities, and the feature shows videoclips of rehearsals for a play being held in the local area. His focus, he states, has been on the hardships faced by the communities and families. He finalizes that, if it is not understood how a community lives on unemployment benefits, it is then not understood how they band together to work through the current dispute, and how the effects are felt by all. Conservative MP Andrew Stewart shares his own perspective on the strikes as representative of Sherwood, Nottinghamshire; the vast majority of miners in Sherwood have remained in work. Stewart shares that Sherwood is the largest mining constituency in UK. Footage of Thoresby Colliery is shown as one of the main locations of reference for this segment, and regarded as the ‘black diamond’ of Sherwood. He explains that Nottinghamshire miners are working due to them having had a ballot, that resulted overwhelmingly against the idea of a strike, and that this is due to them understanding what the Coal Board is trying to achieve. Stewart feels that, if he has a high visual presence, and low verbal response, that this would help him to gain him the confidence of the people; video footage then proceeds to show Stewart in discussion with a striking miner. He argues that the relationship he has developed with NUM officials in his constituency has become friendly and understanding; this has allowed him to go to working areas and to see for himself the collective efforts of the men. NUM members have given him briefs as to how they are seeing the strike situation develop, and their worries for the members living the constituency. In a voiceover segment, Stewart explains that something he has not experienced is intimidation and violence, yet other members of the Sherwood constituency unfortunately have. He regards that, whatever he can do to help these individuals in Sherwood, he is trying. He talks to one individual who had bricks thrown through his windows in the early hours; film footage shows the stones and bricks thrown. Stewart argues that the interdependence between individuals and industries is well demonstrated in Nottinghamshire; this is why the argument on jobs is valid, yet he believes that the unemployed that Arthur Scargill references would have their chances of work improved by NUM settling the strike. Calendar Commentary ‘Private Bills’: This feature of the programme provides a chance for MPs to tell viewers what legislation they would like to introduce into Parliament, given the opportunity. Barry Sheerman (Labour MP, Huddersfield) features in this episode, discussing his ambition to introduce a new bill to provide more training and job opportunities to young people. He says that, of the UK’s young people, 1.5 million under the age of 25 are without jobs, and 0.5 million have been out of work for six months or more; he worries that these young people may be lost to the world of work, to their own self-worth, and democracy. His bill is for a policy to combat this issue, and to help young people find themselves, and a place in society. Sheerman’s first suggestion is to look back to the Thompson Report of 1981, and make the proposals around education written in that report the law. This will mean developing a youth service in every locality, involving young people in activities that would develop skills and self-confidence. Secondly, he suggests a comprehensive approach to the training of young adults. Young people over the age of sixteen, who need allowances in order to stay on into further education, will be provided with them. The Youth Training scheme would also be re-cast into a two-to-three-year programme consisting of high-quality training. Finally, for those under 25 who have missed these educational opportunities, Sheerman proposes a 2-year community programme be introduced, with training built in, and at proper rates of pay. He acknowledges that this may seem like a lot of money to pay overall, but in actuality the costs could be lower than expected. He argues that, as the government already pay people benefits, we could instead use that same money in order to pay individuals to train and work. These are not just financial equations to Sheerman, but also a matter of responsibility and consideration of future generations. Queen’s Speech and Parliament: The government has announced a host of new measures in the recent Queens Speech; some are complex and controversial. Peter Riddell, the political editor of Financial Times, features in this segment to discuss this with Druett further. He believes that the government has now set themselves onto these main objectives, and is progressing onwards with them; presenting them in the Queen’s speech, he views, is a further installment of these policies. He suggests that there is a danger in taking some of the excitement and mediacy away from these issues and turning them into more departmental bills. He states that legislation can deal with statutory frameworks, whereas arguments on unemployment are separate and more economically motivated. He also believes that the rates of unemployment are arguably worse since the Chancellor’s talks on this a few months prior, and suggests that the government’s hope is that people are now attuned, and reigned to, the prospect of unemployment. He is unsure, but puts forth the possibility that there may be more anger over unemployment, and this may become more of an adverse factor for the government to handle. Presented by RICHARD WHITELEY and GEOFF DRUETT With KEVIN BARRON MP, BARRY SHEERMAN MP, ANDREW STEWART MP, and PETER RIDDELL Film Camera ALAN PYRAH Film Sound DON ATKINSON Film Editor STEVE GANNON Editorial Assistant ALI RASHID Director GARY WARD Executive Producer GRAHAM IRONSIDE YORKSHIRE TELEVISION LTD. 1984 YORKSHIRE TELEVISION Production