On This Day in Working Class History
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Britain: The End of the Poll Tax
Mini podcast episode about this date in history, 21 March 1991, when the abolition of the poll tax in the UK was announced, following a mass non-payment campaign and widespread rioting. The hated tax, introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, charged the working class the same as the rich as there was a charge for every individual in a household. Despite the defeat of the working class movement in Britain in the 1980s, people up and down the country self-organised an unprecedented campaign which resulted in over 17 million people refusing to pay, with thousands of people clogging the country's court system. First, the movement brought down Thatcher herself, leading to her resignation in November 1990. The new government then announced the abolition of the tax. It was later replaced by the council tax, which charged rates based on house value. Learn about the movement against the poll tax in episodes 110-111 of our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e110-111-poll-tax-revolt/ Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History
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