1989 > the poll tax and the politics of reforming local government finance

Local government finance is in a bit of a mess, to say the least:
Futures Forum: "Government announces small bit of funding for something that needs a bigger bit of funding" > 'Stronger Towns Fund' vs local government cuts
Futures Forum: Finalising the Local Government Finance Settlement > "finalising the government's next round of cuts to councils"
Futures Forum: 'Casino councils' looking for alternative sources of funding and loading up with debt to play the property market
Futures Forum: Local government and austerity: "the slow, incremental, and sometimes devastating disappearance of local services"

Radio 4's Archive Hour this evening looks at how the Thatcher government tried to do something about local government finance:

Polling Badly

Archive on 4

From the sounds of protest songs to clashes on the streets, the so-called Poll Tax is widely regarded as one of the big political missteps of the 20th century.

Formally known as the Community Charge, the tax was one of Margaret Thatcher’s flagship policies - and one which contributed to her downfall as Prime Minister.

Now, 30 years on since the introduction of the tax in Scotland, Margaret Thatcher's successor John Major has warned that Universal Credit could cause the same sort of problems for Theresa May's Government.

But is that really the case?

Sarah Smith talks to:
Lord William Waldegrave, an architect of the policy, who believes it had an "intellectual beauty" but was ultimately flawed
Labour politicians Lord David Blunkett and Dame Margaret Hodge who fiercely campaigned against it
Lord Michael Heseltine who brought down the policy and Margaret Thatcher with it.

How do they look back on the policy and how it was implemented?

Sarah also talks to campaigners and policy-makers about whether lessons have been learnt from the Poll Tax, or if Universal Credit is falling victim to the same mistakes.

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Polling Badly 

The poll tax does indeed have quite a legacy:
National Archives: Thatcher's poll tax miscalculation - BBC News
The day 250,000 warrants were issued over Glasgow’s refusal to pay poll tax - Glasgow Live
Archive papers reveal Margaret Thatcher's dismay at Nigel Lawson's threat to resign - Telegraph
'Unfair, uncollectable': how Major told Thatcher he was ditching poll tax | Politics | The Guardian
John Major: Universal credit could repeat poll tax problems - BBC News
Of the poll tax and of Brexit | Financial Times
Scrap council tax – wealthy homeowners must pay more | Larry Elliott | Opinion | The Guardian
Council tax is ‘unfair as its predecessor’ | Business | The Times
Reform council tax and close the generational wealth gap | Financial Times
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