Programme presented by Tony Francis. In the studio Reg Harcourt interviews the Employment Secretary Norman Tebbit. He is asked if we are heading towards another ‘winter of discontent’ with a threatened miners’ strike and a dispute in the NHS.
Next on film Rob Whitehouse looks at the miners ballot which is due next week. Arthur Scargill, the leader of the NUM, is calling for a strike over a 31% pay claim and a stop to future pit closures. Whitehouse visits the Nottinghamshire coalfield where miners at Calverton have little support for the ballot. Their pit is not under threat and many workers are unhappy that the closure issue and the pay claim have been combined in the ballot. Vox pops with Calverton miners. We see views of Calverton and Babbington pit at Cinderhill in Nottingham which is threatened with closure. Whitehouse interviews Scargill as well as David Prendergast, branch secretary at Babbington Colliery. One miner interviewed warns that Scargill’s actions will in fact lead to more pit closures.
Next on film we meet the candidates in the forthcoming Birmingham Northfield by-election. There are interview with the three main candidates: Roger Gale (Conservative); John Spellar (Labour); and Stephen Ridley (Liberal SDP Alliance) and we see each on the campaign trail We see views of houses in the Northfield area, Newman College, the exterior of the Austin Rover factory at Longbridge and the Birmetals factory which closed in 1980. We also see Communist candidate Peter Sheppard leafleting outside a factory and Ian Anderson of the National Front travelling in a loud-speaker car. Back in the studio Tony Francis talks to Steve Bristow of Wolverhampton Polytechnic who predicts a Labour win.
After Jon Lander has rounded up the latest Westminster news from the London studio we have a film report about police complaints prompted by a White Paper that hopes to bring civilians into the investigation procedure. Reg Harcourt visits Lloyd House, the Birmingham police headquarters where he interviews superintendent Graham Homer, superintendent John Harland and acting chief superintendent David Stokes about the complaints process. We also see a staged complaints interview with a police officer and views inside the Birmingham police’s complaints department. Finally in the studio Reg Harcourt talks to Anthony Beaumont-Dark MP about police complaints.
Graphics: Jim Chalmers
Film Editor: Ric O'Connor
Political Editor: Reg Harcourt
Executive Producer: Terry Johnston
Editor: Mike Warman
Director: Rob Harding
Production number 1889/82.