"Levenshulme Anti-Poll Tax Union" [NMLH.2016.5]

Catalogue Number
NMLH.2016.5

Object Name
Banner

Title
Levenshulme Anti-Poll Tax Union

Place
Levenshulme

People
Anti- Poll Tax Union

Date
Early 1990s

Creator(s)


Description
Levenshulme Anti-Poll Tax Union banner, around 1990

This banner was hand-made by the organisers of the Levenshulme Anti-Poll Tax Union in the early 1990s. Anti-Poll Tax Unions were set up all over Great Britain following the introduction of the 'Poll Tax' (officially named the 'Community Charge') by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Government in 1989-90. This was a form of local taxation that provided for a single flat-rate tax on every adult at a rate set by the local authority, rather than being based on the value of people's homes.

The Poll Tax was widley criticised for being unfair on those who were less well-off, as there was no scaling for wealth, and many people campaigned for the tax to be abandoned. The most common form of protest was refusal to pay, but there were also riots in towns throughout Great Britain. In August 1990, 70% of people in Manchester refused to pay the tax; the Community Charge was replaced by the Council Tax system in 1992, which offered discounts and exemptions to factor in wealth.

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