People’s Flag – pt 5

Part 5 – ‘The Enemy Within’ 1979 to 1987

60 mins 16mm/DVD, 1986-88

Part 5 looks at how Thatcher’s Tories changed Britain’s economy. It argues that this was part of a world-wide restructuring in the face of economic recession. The film shows how traditional manufacturing industries were run down, new technology was introduced and a huge army of unemployed was created. It describes the drain of British wealth overseas, the boosting of the fortunes of the City of London and the attempt to win support for Thatcherism through privatisation. The film describes how the Tories confronted the unions in order to restructure the economy, using anti-union laws and a massive police deployment in the miners strike of 1984/5.