Film Number

7582

Title

LOCAL DEMOCRACY PETITION - INITIAL SPEAKERS

Producer

WFA

Date

1985

Gauge

U-matic LB

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Running Time

20 mins 56 secs

Description

First part of the launch of the Democracy Petition and Campaign to bring to people's attention what is happening to Manchester with the Tory cuts. The launch is in a Committee Room of Manchester Town Hall to a packed audience. A group of officials and petitioners including Mike Harding; Dick Pickering, local Trade Union representative and President of Boiler Makers Union; Graham Stringer, the leader of Manchester City Council; Roger Taylor, Manchester Town Clerk; Francis Dern; and Canon Alan Goweth. Each speaks about Manchester's plight - 50,000 people out of work, loss of 20 jobs per day since mid 1979, 1 in 4 household affected, 50% of children receiving free school meals (some areas up to 80%). Francis Dern speaks about the impact on people's everyday life and Canon Goweth speaks on behalf of Manchester Council for Voluntary Service (MCVS) and their co-ordinating role for the voluntary sector in Manchester.

[Catalogued as part of 'Revitalising the Regions' a Screen Heritage UK project, 2011]