Tory! Tory! Tory!

Infobox Television
show_name = Tory! Tory! Tory!


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genre = Documentary
creator =
writer =
director = nowrap beginDon Jordan·wrap Dan Hillman·wrap Tom McCarthynowrap end
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starring =
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narrated = Haydn Gwynne
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composer = Elizabeth Parker
country = UK
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 3
list_episodes =
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exec_producer =
co_exec =
producer = nowrap beginDon Jordan·wrap Dan Hillman·wrap Tom McCarthynowrap end
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runtime = 60 minutes
channel = BBC Four
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first_aired = March 8
last_aired = March 22, 2006
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imdb_id = 0907294
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"Tory! Tory! Tory!" is a 2006 BBC television documentary series on the history of the people and ideas that formed Thatcherism told through the eyes of the true believers.

Production

The series was commissioned by the newly appointed Controller of BBC Four Janice Hadlow as a companion piece to the successful series "Lefties" prompting praise from "The Guardian".cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/may/01/media.television | title=In praise of ... digital television | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008 | author= | last= | first= | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=May 1, 2006 | format= | work= | publisher=The Guardian | quote= ]

Xiao Jia Gu who was involved in the production of the series has stated that it "“was a bit of a struggle to make”" as "“true believers don't make good storytellers.”"

She goes on to say however that she enjoyed interviewing Edwina Currie and the Hamiltons and that overall the project was interesting.

Reception

Rupert Smith writing the traditionally left-wing British newspaper "The Guardian" called the series "“a very effective piece of programme-making”" and claimed that while watching it he found himself "“largely in agreement with Thatcher and her robust solutions to the problems of the day.”" This he ascribes to the program makers focus "“on Thatcherism, rather than Thatcher”" and he describes the contributors as "“more vivid and engaging than today's drab political landscape.”" He does however criticise the show for containing "“very little footage of the Iron Lady in full rhetorical flow, or in that creepy, warm, auntyish mode she adopted for chat shows,”" and for failing to mention any of the "“really embarrassing legislation enacted under Thatcher.”" Finally he commends the series for pointing out how "“politicised the television industry became during the Thatcher years”" with clips from "Spitting Image" and "House of Cards".cite web | url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/mar/23/broadcasting.tvandradio | title= Last night's TV | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008 | author= | last=Smith | first=Rupert | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=March 23, 2006 | format= | work= | publisher=The Guardian | quote= ]

The traditionally right-wing British newspaper "The Daily Telegraph" also complimented the series, particularly on its heavyweight cast and surprisingly incisive contributions from Neil Hamilton and warmly welcomed its repeat showing the following year.cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/03/08/btv08.xml | title=Today’s TV & radio choices | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008 | author= | last=Horsford | first=Simon | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=March 8, 2006 | format= | work= | publisher=The Daily Telegraph | quote= ] cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/03/15/btv15.xml | title=Today’s TV & radio choices | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008 | author= | last=Horsford | first=Simon | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=March 15, 2006 | format= | work= | publisher=The Daily Telegraph | quote= ] cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/03/22/btv22.xml | title=Today’s TV & radio choices | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008 | author= | last=Warman | first=Matt | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=March 22, 2006 | format= | work= | publisher=The Daily Telegraph | quote= ] cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/08/10/nosplit/bvtv10.xml | title=Today’s TV & radio choices | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008 | author= | last=Warman | first=Matt | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=August 10, 2007 | format= | work= | publisher=The Daily Telegraph | quote= ]

Episodes

Outsiders

This edition tells of the radicals in the political wilderness after World War II who saw the foundation of the Welfare State as the thin end of a totalitarian wedge. At first they were seen as cranks, but gradually they attracted supporters within the political mainstream. It was only when Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party that they saw a champion.

It all began with chickens and Antony Fisher an old Etonian chicken farmer who made a fortune by introducing battery cage farming into the UK. Fisher had lost his younger brother fighting against Nazi Germany in the Battle of Britain and was determined to use his fortune to combat what he saw as the new totalitarianism of the Labour Government's policies of nationalisation and the welfare state. Influenced by the Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek he established the Institute of Economic Affairs under the directorship of Ralph Harris.

Harris and his Research Director Arthur Seldon were both economists from working class backgrounds who had grown to support free market. Informed by Fisher that their task could take 20 years, they grew old together beavering away at their small Westminster office churning out a stream of pamphlets designed to influence academics, journalists and politicians to the view that the free market is good and government interference is bad. They were widely dismissed until 1964 when Edward Heath championed their policy in his abolition of price controls.

The Editor of "The Times", William Rees-Mogg, sent Peter Jay to the U.S. as economic correspondent where he learned of the Monetarist theories of Milton Friedman. Enoch Powell became the champion of free market economics in British politics but lost his position and influence following his controversial Rivers of Blood speech. Heath came to power in the 1970 general election with a strong free market manifesto but the government was later forced to abandon these policies as a rise in unemployment led to the need to pump money into the economy and introduce a pay policy to control inflation.

Following the February 1974 election defeat former Health Minister Keith Joseph turned against Heath and his neo-Keynesian policies to become a champion of free market economics but lost his position and influence following his controversial "human stock" speech. Joseph's close friend and ally Margaret Thatcher put herself forward as the free market candidate in the subsequent leadership election and won a surprising victory. Jay met with Thatcher at a dinner where he explained to her the Monetarist theories that she would subsequently adopt.

Contributors

References

External links

* " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4766446.stm Tory! Tory! Tory! (Part one)] " by Brian Wheeler at BBC News