This film is part of Free

Power Crisis

Questions of loyalty on the doorstep as the residents of Huntington in Staffordshire are asked if they support the miners or Government.

News 1974 2 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

In January 1974 a coal miners' overtime ban was in place prompting the Government to call for commercial users to restrict their electricity consumption to three days a week. Domestic users were asked to cut back too. Bob Warman reports from the pit village of Huntington where, with Littleton Colliery on their doorstep, the miners' wives are typically loyal to the cause although many are conflicted as they are also complying with the Government's request.

The miners' overtime ban led to a full strike following a ballot on 31 January. The Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath called a General Election the following month. When he did not achieve a majority it was down to Labour under Harold Wilson to negotiate the end of the strike in March. The miners settled for a thirty-five percent pay rise.