The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
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Power Crisis Vox Pop
Prime Minister Edward Heath calls a three day week to save energy. What else can he do in the face of rising prices, a coal strike and a country in crisis?
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Overview
In January 1974 the Three Day Week was introduced by the Conservative government. Electricity had become a rare commodity thanks to a strike in the coal industry and, consequently, commercial users were restricted to working three days a week to conserve power. These interviews in Birmingham date from the day that the measure was announced and are surprisingly calm and measured considering the country appeared to be teetering on the brink of disaster.
A month into the Three Day Week Edward Heath called a General Election which resulted in a hung parliament. Heath failed to find a coalition partner resulting in his resignation and Harold Wilson's Labour Party stepped into power.
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