Briefing [21/02/1983]
From the collection of
Briefing [24/05/1982]
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1982-05-24
Briefing [21/02/1983] (Briefing)
In the wake of the Falklands War and a popularity boost for PM Margaret Thatcher, harsh realities are debated by the people who must bear the cost.
The brief war was followed by victory, but one that came at a heavy cost. In addition to nearly 1,000 fatalities and nearly 2,000 wounded, many veterans were left with the invisible scars of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The war transformed the fortunes of prime minister Margaret Thatcher, whose personal popularity had fallen dramatically since 1979, and of her Conservative government, which had been trailing behind the Liberal / SDP Alliance in the opinion polls. In June 1983, a year after the end of the war, the Conservatives surged to a landslide General Election victory. With its renewed mandate the government would enact policies that would leave their mark on the local economy in the North East for generations to come.
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The '80s in the North East
For a phoenix to rise there must first be ashes: these films capture the hungry years when hope was hard to find.
The once-thriving powerhouse of Northern industry was stripped back during the 1980s as the region lost coal mines, shipyards, steelworks and many more employers besides. The decline of the North East economy was particularly hard on school-leavers, who had fewer skills and no work experience to fall back on in an increasingly bleak jobs market.
10 videos in this collection
1
Briefing [24/05/1982]
2
Briefing [21/02/1983]
3
Briefing [05/12/1983]
4
Social Workers
5
Briefing [20/02/1984]
6
Briefing [09/04/1984]
7
A Most Important Week
8
Briefing [26/11/1984]
9
Briefing [17/06/1985]
10