A special edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ on the northern Labour Party and the selection of it’s MP’s. Reporter Shirley Hewitt follows two very different Labour MP from the region, Gordon Bagier Retiring Member for Sunderland South whose constituency is predominant urban and Derek Foster MP for Bishop Auckland in County Durham who’s constituency is predominantly rural. Back in the studio the issues of selecting Labour MP’s is discussed by Derek Foster...

A special edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ on the northern Labour Party and the selection of it’s MP’s. Reporter Shirley Hewitt follows two very different Labour MP from the region, Gordon Bagier Retiring Member for Sunderland South whose constituency is predominant urban and Derek Foster MP for Bishop Auckland in County Durham who’s constituency is predominantly rural. Back in the studio the issues of selecting Labour MP’s is discussed by Derek Foster and Chris Mullin Labour Candidate Elect for Sunderland South who will replace Gordon Bagier on the ballot paper at the 1987 General Election. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing The programme begins with comments by both Derek Foster MP for Bishop Auckland and Personal Private Secretary to Neil Kinnock and Gordon Bagier MP Retiring Member for Sunderland South with regards the issue with and consequences of the reselection of Labour MP’s. Title: Briefing Special In the Tyne Tees Television studio in Newcastle sitting in front of a large image of Labour Party Leader Neil Kinnock, presenter Ian Breach introduces this special edition on how an issue believed resolved by the Labour Party three years ago has not gone away. The issue relates to the question of how a Labour MP are to be selected for re-election with the decision being made that all Labour MP’s must offer themselves for re-selection by constituency if to stand for subsequent elections. However, those on the left of the party want to stick with principle of one member one vote. The question is asked what the implication is for the party both nationally as well regionally focusing on two local constituencies. A map of the southern part of the region focusing on the Bishop Auckland constituency of Derek Foster MP whose image is also included. Another map of the Tyne and Wear area and the constituency of its sitting MP Gordon Bagier whose image is again also included. Reporter Shirley Hewitt stands outside the headquarters of Sunderland South Labour Party in Sunderland and sets the scene for ‘one of the biggest battles ever seen in the Northeast to select a Labour MP’ that took place in the building behind her when a powerful left-wing group set about resting the seat from the moderates following the announcement that sitting member Gordon Bagier was retiring at the next general election. In three acts Shirley outlined the events leading to her standing outside Sunderland Civic Centre where the next Labour MP for Sunderland South was chosen. Back in the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach provides details of how Albert Booth lost out by a slender margin to left-wing candidate Chris Mullin. He poses the question what does the Northern Labour Party make of this choice? A filmed response is given by Joe Mills, Chairman of the Northern Labour Party who is concerned. Ian Breach introduces a second filmed report by Shirley Hewitt joining Gordon Bagier in his Grangetown constituency to reflect on his long political career and to look at what kind of constituency he will he leave behind for Chris Mullin should be elected in the 1987 General Election. Gordon Bagier walks along a coastal path passing a large factory and chemical works, in voiceover he talks about some of his regrets including the rise in unemployment. Sitting at home he talks about the possibility of shorter working weeks and the expansion of industry to create more jobs. He is very concerned about the future for young people. Gordon Bagier walks through the garden of the Community Action Team with Sunderland Corporation Leader Eric Jackson learning about the centre which provides practical training to school leavers. They walk past several young man working in the garden as part of the training scheme. Inside Gordon is introduced to two young men who are wallpapering a room, he speaks with the boys about the scheme and what they’ve learned. Inside a local working men’s club at Silksworth Gordon Bagier enjoys a pint of beer with three former miners. One of them is Councillor John Donnelly who provides details of what the village was like before the pit closed in 1972. One of the other men speaks with Gordon about issues of unemployment in the village especially for the young. A large sign for the recently completed Leechmere Industrial Estate and the Dewhirst factory on the site. Inside men and mainly women working machines making quality garments for Marks and Spencer and a leading America department store. Gordon walks through the factory speaking with a representative of Dewhirst about the investment the company has made in new machinery leading to an increase in the company workforce. Gordon asks how the company has been successful, the representative explains it is due to the hard working workforce that are able to adapt to new technologies. Gordon Bagier walks along a path beside the Wear passing under the Wearmouth Bridge, in voiceover he talk about the decline in the local shipbuilding industry and his support the last two yards on the Wear Austin and Pickesgill and British Shipbuilders. Gordon walks past the bulk carrier Mitla under construction in dry dock at the Deptford Yard of Sunderland British Shipbuilders. The film changes to Bishop Auckland in County Durham where the sitting MP Derek Foster walks along the road leading to Auckland Castle. In a car Derek drives along a country road passing the Newton Gap Viaduct, in voiceover he talks about his varied constituency and its rural problems. Residents make their way inside the village hall at Middleton-in-Teesdale. In the main hall Derek Foster speaks with them about their concerns about nuclear waste being potentially dumped in Teesdale. Local Teacher Jean Addison gets to her feet and ask Derek how would a future Labour government deal with this issue safely? He pledges that if there is any substance to the rumour then the Labour government would fight it tooth-and-nail. At a holiday centre in Lunedale two riders on horseback leap over a fallen tree stump. The owner of the centre Michael Killen explains to Derek Foster the issues he is having with trying to expand the routes he can use around the local area. Derek talks about a piece of legislation Labour had put forward that would have helped and about the need to balance the needs of access and of farming. From an elevated position the roof of the Bowes Museum at Bowes as well as St Mary’s Parish Church in Barnard Castle. At a local farmers market sheep are unloaded from a wagon ready of auction after which the tractor pulling the wagon being driven away. Derek Foster speaks with two local farmers about wanting to maintain rural life, support the farming community and work towards a balance between farming and conservation. Standing beside Derek is local farmer Brian Bowers who is asked about the threat to farming by the conservation lobby and from imported food. A second farmers standing with Derek and Brian contributes to the discussion. A lorry drives into a former mining village near Bishop Auckland. Derek Foster walking through the village with local Housing Committee Chairman Billy Neeson and Geoff Harrison, Secretary of the Dene Valley Villages Association. Geoff is angry about the comments made by Billy that villages such as this one should be allowed to die. He puts the associations case to Derek that they should be revitalised instead. Derek pledges his full support to Geoff. Sitting at a desk Derek Foster explains to Shirley Hewitt that it was the issue of unemployment that got him first interested in politics. Inside the neighbourhood centre on the St Helen’s estate in Bishop Auckland a 1st birthday party with toddlers and small children sitting around a table eating sandwiches and cake. Around them the grownups sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Eric Weston, Chairman of the local tenants committee worries about the future of his and the other children on this deprived estate. Sitting next to him listening is Derek who believes the current Conservative government doesn’t understand the concerns of people like him. He goes onto say that as a society we need to at least give people decent benefits so that they can take care of their own families. Back in the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach explains the irony that Labour’s electoral support amongst the unemployed or downtrodden has weakened with large numbers of voters not turning out for any of the parties. The question is put to Joe Mills, Chairman of the Northern Labour Party about its future. He believes the Labour Party both nationally and regionally have moved to far away from where they started from and take people for granted. He would like to see a bigger emphasis on community politics. Back in the studio Ian Breach leads a discussion on the issues raised in this programme with both Derek Foster and Chris Mullin Labour Candidate Elect for Sunderland South. The programme ends with Ian Breach providing details of next week’s edition with a similar examination of the northern Conservatives speak with two members from both the hard and soft wings of their party. Credit: Presenter Ian Breach Executive Producer Michael Partington Series Producer Bob Farnworth Film Camera Eddie Crooks, Alistair McKenzie Film Sound Nic Grant Film Editor John Louvre Research Gillian Firth Reporter Shirley Hewitt Director James Whiteley Producer John Sleight End title: Tyne Tees. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXV