Poll Tax- Lecture Notes

Question 1

What was the poll tax?

Answer 1

A tax on people: flat rate per capita tax payable on all adults aged 18 and above

Question 2

What did the implementation of the poll tax mean?

Answer 2

The abolition of domestic rates (the old system which was a tax on property)

Question 3

Who were exempt from the poll tax?

Answer 3

Mentally handicapped, convicted persons, 80% reduction for students and benefit claimants

Question 4

What are the five arguments for the poll tax?

Answer 4

1. Principle: everyone over 18 should pay for their local services:accountability
2. Only 14 million people paid for local taxes
3. ‘No representation without taxation’
4. Lack of incentive to curb high-spending councils
5. Why should a household full of four or five adults pay the same as a pensioner living alone?

Question 5

What are the 4 primary arguments against the poll tax,

Answer 5

1. Unfair- regressive tax: tramp paid the same as a lord
2. Expensive to collect- people move, houses don’t
3. Not phased in
4. Bills too high

Question 6

How many letters of complaint did George Younger, Secretary of State for Scotland, receive between 1979 and 1985 complaining about the rating system?

Answer 6

15,000

Question 7

Why were Scottish people un happy with the poll tax?

Answer 7

It was introduced in Scotland a year before it was in England, they felt like guinea pigs for an English Tory experiment

Question 8

How did the Scottish people protest against poll tax?

Answer 8

A widespread campaign of non registration and and non payment

Question 9

What were the downsides of the poll tax?

Answer 9

Tax on people not property, keeping track of people is hard
Widespread campaign of non registration and non payment
Losers outnumbered winners, middle England, Mrs thatchers own supporters, were in revolt

Question 10

What were the bills predicted at, versus the actual cost, of the poll tax in its first year?

Answer 10

Gov prediction £150

First year £363

Question 11

How did public opinion on the poll tax change between Feb 1986 and April 1990?

Answer 11

Bad idea (86)- 39%
Bad idea (90)-75%

Question 12

What was a conservative mp cited as saying about the poll tax (Cowley, 1995:106)

Answer 12

‘I don’t give a toss about those people who were rioting in the streets, but when pensioners write to me I do’

Question 13

What was significant about conservative MPs receiving letters about the poll tax?

Answer 13

1. They were individual letters, not mass produced post cards by pressure groups
2. They were from pensioners
3. They were detailed, about the levels of tax and specific problems with it, including surcharges for non payment
4. there was a steady stream of letters; they realised the problem would not go away
5. Very little post from winners of the tax, all was negative

Question 14

When were the Trafalgar Square poll tax riots?

Answer 14

31 march 1990

Question 15

What were the impacts of the poll tax riots on con mps

Answer 15

• unusual
• Party committed to law and order, but half of all conservative MPs interviews felt that extra parliamentary protests played a part in the tax’s downfall

Question 16

Who were the main supporters of the poll tax?

Answer 16

Margaret thatcher
Nicholas Ridley
Eric forth

Question 17

Who were the main opponents of the poll tax

Answer 17

Nigel Lawson
Michael heseltine
Michael mates
Most of the poor local government officials who had to introduce the tax