A 30-minute newsreel, hosted by Geoff Druett and Ruth Pitt. This episode is the last of the year, and looks at the impact of the main political events of 1984 on the three main political parties; the Conservatives, Labour, and the Alliance. Ruth Pitt gives an overview of major political events throughout the year, such as the banning of Trade Unions at the GCHQ in Cheltenham, and the development of the Miners' Strike. Druett interviews Giles Shaw MP regarding Conservative policies, Tory...

A 30-minute newsreel, hosted by Geoff Druett and Ruth Pitt. This episode is the last of the year, and looks at the impact of the main political events of 1984 on the three main political parties; the Conservatives, Labour, and the Alliance. Ruth Pitt gives an overview of major political events throughout the year, such as the banning of Trade Unions at the GCHQ in Cheltenham, and the development of the Miners' Strike. Druett interviews Giles Shaw MP regarding Conservative policies, Tory backbenches and policing. He also speaks to Tony Benn about the future of the Labour Party as an oppositional group within Parliament. Druett speaks to Richard Wainwright about the developments of, and potential problems within, the Alliance Party. Jim Naughtie features in the ‘Man in the gallery’ segment, wherein he discusses the general attitudes of Parliament towards the end of the year. Conservatives: Geoff Druett talks to Giles Shaw MP to assess these events from a wider perspective. Shaw argues that Conservative policies are undoubtedly starting to work, if the lowered rate of inflation is considered; the government during this period have embarked on a journey of making long-term changes, so he believes that it will take some time for benefits to be seen. Shaw expects to see a lot of ‘flexing of muscles’ on Tory backbenches, arguing that they will wish to see immediate returns on 1979 policies and exert their own influences. Shaw suggests that Nigel Lawson, in is earlier budget in March, intended to create a larger framework for industrial taxation, however the threshold level that people start to pay tax is a disincentive for people to move back into work. He argues that if the thresholds are moved and personal taxations come down, there will be a resurged interest in joining smaller businesses; this may be at lesser rates of pay than industrial corporations can offer, but will help to get people moving back into jobs. He believes that a review of the social security system is long overdue, but measures regarding the NHS such as the Griffiths Report are sensible measures to take based on those who use the services. Shaw explains that police tensions in regards to the Miner’s Strikes do worry him. He states that he has seen strong links between police and community in South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, and feels that there is a need for police to try and repair these links in oppositional areas after the disputes. Labour: The Labour party faced embarrassing suggestions to their ineffective stance as parliamentary opposition, and that the only example has come from Tory backbenches. The arrival of Tony Benn into Parliament at the start of the year prompting questioning that this would soon change. However, the dominance of Miners' Strike in domestic politics have limited his chances to prove this. Over the last 10 months, Labour has seen strike mediation failure, as well as tensions and divisions over the lack of a strike ballot, the policing and the violence of the strikes. Tony Benn talks with Geoff Druett in this segment to discuss what must be done for Labour to become a credible parliamentary opposition. Benn believes that the year will be remembered as a turning point; he sees an attack on working class living standards being worse than ever, unemployment rates rising, and housing benefit and fuel allowance cuts for the elderly. Despite this, he also sees 1984 as the year that people began to fight back, and sees great hope. He gives suggestions as to how Labour may fix the unemployment crisis, should they be elected in 1985; he emphasises the intention to focus on practical steps and solutions. He believes these ideas are reaching people, but that a hostile media can make the process difficult. Benn discusses the practicalities of a general Miners' Strike as ‘a last resort’. He argues that if right to be in a Trade Union is taken away, or local democracy and civil liberties destroyed, then it is worth questioning the kind of societal direction we are heading in. He believes that there is much more support for miner’s that audiences are ‘allowed’ to see in the media, and that the general issues that Labour raise are the ones that resonate with and effect the people. The Alliance: For the Alliance, the problems remain roughly the same as they were at the start of the year; how to be upwardly mobile, to break through and win sufficient seats in parliament. There have been successes, such as the win of the by-election at Portsmouth, and running close second-place to the Tories at Enfield. There is still a problem for the two parties (Liberal and SDP); the question if they should merge, how they will solve which party should contest most parliamentary seats, and policy differences. Richard Wainwright MP features to discuss this. Wainwright makes note of intentions in the party to make policies collectively, by the end of the next year. There has also been an agreement on a single leaders’ office for Owen and Steel, allowing them to work together. He acknowledges a public view and opinion to want to see the Liberals and the SDP work together In the Alliance, so as to better understand them, and that they are taking actions to reach that prospect. In regards to the unemployment crisis, he suggests that the figures Labour have mentioned for public borrowing are far too much, and that the costs the Alliance would need to help this issue would be much more reasonable. Druett raises the problem of which party is to govern which seats in a general election; Wainwright explains that this issue is being handled better than the last time the Alliance encountered it, due to having more time to discuss, and to conduct this on a local constituency basis. He does not express worries that members within constituencies will fight and disagree, as he has seen no evidence to suggests such within the Alliance at this point. Wainwright closes the discussion by stating that the Alliance have a lot to say on what is coming up in the next budget. ‘Man in the Gallery’: The final section of this programme sees the ‘Man in the Gallery’ segment, which sees an interview take place between two studios over video correspondence. Ruth Pitt opens the segment by revisiting the idea of Tory backbenchers becoming a nuisance for Thatcher. Jim Naughtie features in this section to discuss the week before Christmas in Parliament and what the general feelings are within the House of Commons. He explains that things are relatively quiet, are that people are looking to figure out the state of mind amongst Tory backbenches. He expresses how Thatcher has been concerned by this oppositional presence. When asked what political actions may been seen in the upcoming year, Naughtie states that it is difficult to say how these situations will develop, and so much depends on how the Miner’s Strikes will end and when; he is reluctant to predict, but suggests that the Strike’s will go on for a bit more time yet. He expresses scepticism of Tony Benn’s faith that the strike will end in a beneficial way for the Labour party, and describes this as an anxious political period in parliament. Presented by GEOFF DRUETT and RUTH PITT With GILES SHAW MP, TONY BENN MP, RICHARD WAINWRIGHT MP, and JIM NAUGHTIE Editorial Assistant ALI RASHID Director GARY WARD Executive Producer GRAHAM IRONSIDE Yorkshire Television Ltd. 1984 YORKSHIRE TELEVISION Production