Margret Thatcher and Scotland - Trainspotting Context

What was the Poll Tax?
  • Finished Margret Thatcher's government - she resigned.
  • Happened in 31st March 1990.
  • It was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of domestic rates in Scotland from 1989 to 1990.
  • A fixed tax for every adult that ignored what their income was.
  • 4 million people refused to pay.
  • "Can't Pay! Won't Pay!"
  • On the 31st March 1990, a week before the implementation of the tax, 20,000 people demonstrated against the tax. This demonstration in London left 113 people injured and 340 arrested, with over 100 police officers needing treatment.
  • Rich people were paying the same amount of tax as poor people - unfair tax.


Why was it introduced in Scotland first?

  • Scotland were used first as the 'poll tax guinea pig'.
  • Margret Thatcher eventually lost all the Conservative Party seats in Scotland.
  • Scottish Conservatives persuaded Mrs Thatcher to introduce the poll tax rather than an alternative levy based on property. 
  • Introduced the poll tax a year early in Scotland.
  • "A sudden change would not be as dramatic in Scotland as they would be in England or Wales."


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