This special episode of Calendar Commentary, called Calendar Commentary Recalled, is a thirty-minute focus into three key themes. The first segment of the episode concentrates on the resignation of Heritage Secretary David Mellor and the reasoning behind this, the next segment examines closely the country's economic policy and industry difficulties with the help of local businesses and a panel of Members of Parliament. The final segment focuses on the Maastricht treaty, the chance of a...

This special episode of Calendar Commentary, called Calendar Commentary Recalled, is a thirty-minute focus into three key themes. The first segment of the episode concentrates on the resignation of Heritage Secretary David Mellor and the reasoning behind this, the next segment examines closely the country's economic policy and industry difficulties with the help of local businesses and a panel of Members of Parliament. The final segment focuses on the Maastricht treaty, the chance of a referendum, and Prime Minister John Major turning his policies on their heads. The first segment of this episode of Calendar Commentary is introduced by Geoff Druett in front of Westminster Abbey, it is an insight into the resignation of Heritage Secretary David Mellow. Druett briefly hands over to Peter McNerny who chronicles the downfall of David Mellow, he narrates over video footage of David Mellow resigning due to rumours speculating all day and although they were denied it was eventually confirmed that evening. The reasoning for this is the Heritage Secretary's controversial taking of free holidays and alleged affair. Correspondent Peter McNerny conducts interviews with David Mellows colleagues, John Greenway (Conservative MP for Stamford and Spalding) and Keith Hampson (Conservative MP for Leeds) who are saddened but understanding of the decision. In this segment there is also interviews with members of the Labour party (specifically David Blunkett, Labour MP for Sheffield Brightside) who declare it was a motivated resignation in order to take the heat off the Prime Minister's badly received decisions/arguments in the house of commons. We return to Geoff Druett in the Leeds studio who is joined by Sir Marcus Fox (Shipley MP and chairman of the 1922 committee of the Conservative party), they discuss Labour's take on the resignation and John Major's judgement as prime minister. The next segment narrates on the government's handling of the Sterling crisis, Geoff Druett covers this and talks on today's emergency debate on this as it is the first time MPs have been recalled to discuss a domestic issue for nearly twenty years. Calendar Commentary's interviewer/producer Peter McNerny has been finding out what hard pressed industry in Britain wants if the government really is changing its economic policy, businesses say high interests rates have throttled investment (for example, engineering employers in Yorkshire and Humberside say their members have lost 2,500 jobs in the first nine months of 1992 which is more than the whole of 1991). McNerny conducts interviews with the firm T.S. Harrisons, Yorkshire based lathe makers, who are struggling to cope with the recession as exports (which are the major part of their business) were hit by an exchange rate locked into the ERM and now the policy has been suspended. One interview of this firm is with Tony Sweeton who wishes for the government to sustain growth and capital investment as well as reducing inflation. Engineering employer Ian Hughes is also asked about his perspective on this issue, he states that the government can and should do a lot more to support investment and infrastructure as well as encouraging investment in the manufacturing industry. The reversal of economic policy has come too late for some businesses, an example given in this episode is Rainford House of Elegance (a furnishing company based in Barnsley) which became an early causality of high interest rates and the lack of stability in interest. The final segment of this episode intertwines foreign policy discrepancies as well as continuing discussions about the economy, the overarching theme is the work of Prime Minister John Major. Geoff Druett opens by discussing the PM, specifically the reasoning behind him standing his economic and foreign policy on their heads and reversing the progress made, he then passes the topic over to Sarah Dearton. Dearton notes that two years previous John Major took Britain into the exchange rate mechanism at a level now seen to have been unrealistically high, the policy involved no devaluation of the pound as well as beating inflation. This was until the Sterling crisis on the 16th of September 1992 where Britain left the ERM, the pound became devalued and £10 million spent in a desperate attempt to save the free-falling pound. The episode then pans back to Geoff Druett who moves on to the debate that had took place on that day in the House of Commons whilst video clips of the debate are shown, the lively debate featuring members such as Dennis Skinner (Labour MP for Bolsover) and John Townend (Conservative MP for Bridlington) debating the next move for the government in terms of policies. Druett is then joined in the studio by Sir Marcus Fox once again and also Derek Fatchett (Labour MP for Leeds Central), James Cran (Conservative MP for Beverly), and Bob Cryer (Labour MP for Bradford South). The panel discuss if an apology is necessary from the Government after the mistakes they have made in the economy, the exchange rates, the Labour party's want of an economic package, and independent policy. Anna Hardwick of Calendar Commentary has been interviewing the British community to hear opinions on the Maastricht situation and whether or not the 'euro bloon' has popped. In the interviews the members of the public that were spoken to argued that they should get a say the same as France and Denmark. The final report of this episode is an interview by Peter McNerny with Edward Macmillan Scott (Conservative Euro MP/MEP for York) in front of Westminster Abbey, Macmillan Scott states he believes the public shouldn't have a say in these decisions as it is up to the Government. Geoff Druett wraps up this segment/episode by discussing the negative attitudes towards a referendum with the panel. With JAMES CRAN MP, BOB CRYER MP, DEREK FATCHETT MP, EDWARD MACMILLAN SCOTT MP, SIR MARCUS FOX MP VT Editor PETER CRISTY Researcher GAYNOR BARNES Technical Supervisor JOE MCNALLY Production Assistant CAROL PHILLIPS Director ALAN RODMAN Producer PETER MCNERNY Political Editors GEOFF DRUETT & RICHARD WHITELEY Executive Producer- RICHARD GREGORY YTV 1992