Can't Pay, Won't Pay

The Fight to Stop the Poll Tax

Simon Hannah

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English

Pluto Press
20 March 2020

History; British & Irish history; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Political ideologies; Public administration; Political activism; Bargains

Thirty years ago, a social movement helped bring down one of the most powerful British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century. For the 30th anniversary of the Poll Tax rebellion, Simon Hannah looks back on those tumultuous days of resistance, telling the story of the people that beat the bailiffs, rioted for their rights and defied a government.

Starting in Scotland where the 'Community Charge' was first trialled, Can't Pay, Won't Pay immerses the reader in the gritty history of the rebellion. Amidst the drama of large scale protests and blockaded estates a number of key figures and groups emerge: Neil Kinnock and Tommy Sheridan; Militant, Class War and the Metropolitan Police.

Assessing this legacy today, Hannah demonstrates the centrality of the Poll Tax resistance as a key chapter in the history of British popular uprisings, Labour Party factionalism, the anti-socialist agenda and failed Tory ideology.

By: Simon Hannah
Imprint: Pluto Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 215mm, Width: 135mm,
Weight: 251g
ISBN: 9780745340814
ISBN 10: 0745340814
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 20 March 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Simon Hannah is a writer and political activist. He is the author of A Party with Socialists in It (Pluto, 2018). His work has been featured in Open Democracy and New Left Project. He is an active trade unionist and a member of the Labour Party.

Reviews for Can't Pay, Won't Pay: The Fight to Stop the Poll Tax

'Simon's book is a lucid and valuable contribution to the rich history of the anti-poll tax movement and gives a heartfelt voice to the millions of non-payers who brought Thatcher down' -- Steve Nally, Former Secretary of the All Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation 'Simon Hannah tells the story of a great popular upsurge that brought down a hated Tory leader. We need this history of the poll tax revolt like never before. A must-read for every activist' -- Neil Faulkner, author of 'A Radical History of the World'