Regional Identity: Secondary Research
Introduction:
It is important to have a statistical basis for my documentary - as it helps rationalize my talking points as well as helping solidify and quantify the talking points in the minds of the viewer.Statistics regarding child poverty in the North East:
The North East has the second highest rate of child poverty in the United Kingdom at 37% with London being the highest at a shocking 38%. However the North East saw the UK’s biggest increase in child poverty from 2014 to 2020 with a rise from 26% of children living in abject poverty to 37%. This is remarkably shocking as child poverty in the North East has increased from just below the UK average to the second highest of any region in that time.All 12 North East councils are included in the 20 UK local authority areas which saw the highest increases in child poverty from 2014/15 to 2019/20 - indeed all 12 top this list
Of the 20 UK Parliamentary constituencies which saw the highest increases in child poverty from 2014/15 to 2019/20, 17 are in the North East
Child Poverty is a particular concern in the North East of England. According to End Child Poverty’s annual report, while child poverty has generally improved (prior to the welfare reforms) the situation has deteriorated in the North East. Here child poverty in Middlesbrough rose from 38% to 40% and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 29% to 38% between 2011 and 2012.
There are a number of other items that the British public think are basic necessities for children including
- Warm winter coat (97% of the British population think this is a necessity);
- Fresh fruit and vegetables once a day (96%);
- New, properly fitting shoes (93%);
- A garden or outdoor space to play safely (92%);
- Children’s clubs or activities (74%);
- Going on a school trip at least once a term (55%);
- A holiday away from home at least 1 week a year (53%).
Brewing, coal mining and glass making have all played a huge part in Sunderland’s history.
But there’s one industry that’s played a bigger part in the city’s story than any other – shipbuilding.
Sunderland’s shipbuilding history lasted over six centuries, during which it had over 400 registered shipyards and became the biggest shipbuilding town in the world.
Along the way the industry transformed Wearside and put Sunderland on the map.
Here’s a look back at the history of Sunderland tugs and shipbuilding.
Wearside Shipbuilding's humble beginnings:
Sunderland shipbuilding began in 1346, when Thomas Menville was recorded as building a ship in Hendon.
Little is known about shipbuilding on Wearside until the 18th century, when improvements to the port helped transform Sunderland into one of Britain’s shipbuilding hubs.
The town produced several commercial vessels in the 1700s, as well as warships that were used in the wars against the French.
The 19th century
Shipbuilding in Sunderland continued to grow during the 19th century, with the number of shipyards along the Wear growing from nine in 1801 to 76 in 1840.
By this time Sunderland was Britain’s most prolific shipbuilding town, with the 1835 Lloyds Register of Shipping chronicling that it was “the most important shipbuilding center in the country, nearly equaling as regards tonnage and ships built all the other ports put together”.
Between 1846 and 1854, a third of all ships built in the UK were from Wearside.
At this time, most ships were still made of wood, with Sunderland’s first iron ship built in 1852 and the production of steel ships beginning in the 1880s.
The 20th century
During the 20th century, Sunderland shipbuilding was key to Britain’s efforts in the two World Wars.
The First World War
In 1914 there were just 16 shipyards on the Wear, due to ever-increasing competition from abroad and the change to iron and then steel construction.
These shipyards were responsible for building the majority of Britain’s cargo ships, which were the key to getting supplies to the front lines during the First World War.
Demand for these vessels was so high that women were employed in the shipyards for the first time, which had a huge impact on women’s suffrage in the 20th century.
The Second World War
By 1939 the number of shipyards in Sunderland had shrunk to just eight, although this rose to nine due in order to supply wartime needs.
An incredible 27% of merchant ships produced in Britain during the Second World War were built at Sunderland.
Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by the Nazis, who made Wearside a regular target of bombing raids. This led to many children being evacuated from the area to safer areas of the country.
Economic Policy -
Based on the monetarist theories of Milton Friedman, the base interest rate was raised to 30% in 1979, in order to try and bring down inflation. Despite this, inflation peaked at 20% in 1980. (Contemporary comparisons: interest rate 0.5% and inflation 2.6% as of summer 2018).
In 1981, Chancellor Geoffrey Howe acted against the received wisdom of Keynesian economic by raising taxes and cutting spending during a recession. Unemployment increased but the policy was successful on its own terms as it did bring down inflation, which the government viewed as more important.
Home Ownership
The Housing Act, 1980, allowed council tenants to purchase council homes at a significantly discounted price. This was a manifesto pledge in 1979 to establish the UK as a “property-owning democracy”.
By 1987 more than 1 million homes had been sold to their tenants under the scheme which proved very popular with those tenants who taken a step onto the housing ladder. The policy had been opposed by Labour, on the grounds that it was depleting council housing stock, but this assisted a shift in voting behavior among the “aspirational” working class towards voting Conservative.
Privatization and Deregulation
Thatcher's government privatized a number of state-run companies, including key public utilities. In 1984 they privatized British Telecom with over 2 million people buying shares in the company. Further companies followed such as British Gas in 1986. Note that the most controversial privatization of all – British Rail – was actually privatized under Thatcher’s successor, John Major.
In 1986, the government introduced a massive deregulation of banks, financial services and the City of London. This proved successful in establishing London as a global center for financial services, although is blamed by some for the malpractice in banking that would ultimately result in the banking crisis of 2008.
Trade Union Legislation
The 1980 Employment Act outlawed “secondary action” by trade unions. “Secondary action” or sympathy strikes was the idea of one set of workers coming out on strike to support another, rather than because they had a specific industrial dispute of their own. This act also greatly restricted the number of people who could legally be on a picket line (although this law was often broken during strikes in the 1980s, such as the Miners’ Strike in 84/85 and the Wrapping print workers’ strike in 1985 as a picket line of six individuals was deemed entirely ineffective in such workplaces.
The 1982 Employment Act further limited the powers of trade unions, banning “political strikes” and limiting the grounds upon which workers could go on strike. The law also made unions liable for damages arising from industrial action, allowing the government to seize funds of up to 250,000 pounds
Defense
In 1982, the government purchased new nuclear weapons, establishing the Trident nuclear submarine programmed. At the time, the Labour Party was in favour of unilateral nuclear disarmament, providing a very clear difference between the two main parties).
Ireland
In 1985, Margaret Thatcher signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement with the Irish government, seeking to take a joint role in ending the conflict in Northern Ireland, although the agreement lacked support in both communities in Northern Ireland.
Education
The 1988 Education Reform Act was a major piece of legislation that introduced marketisation principles into state education. Among its many provisions were the introduction of SATs tests, league tables and the national curriculum.
Taxation and Local Government
In 1986, the government abolished the Greater London Council (GLC). The council had a left-wing administration, led by Ken Livingstone, and abolishing it further reduced the influence of left-wing socialists on British public life.
In 1989, Margaret Thatcher introduced the “poll tax” in Scotland before rolling it out to the rest of the country. Really called the “community charge”, this tax replaced local rates and was replaced by council tax. It was based on the idea of all individuals paying the same amount, rather than households paying based on the value of their property. People living alone saw their local taxes reduce, but larger households saw sometimes very significant increases in their tax bill. The charge was deeply unpopular. Scotland being seen as a “guinea pig” for the controversial popular further reduced support for the Conservative Party in Scotland and increased support for independence.
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