Can't Pay, Won't Pay

A Short History of the Anti-Poll Tax Struggle 1987-1993

Chris Robinson, Jeff Weston, Lee Garratt

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English

Thinkwell Books, UK
03 April 2023

British & Irish history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Political parties

"""Drop a pebble in a pool and the waves spread. We can be that pebble"" - Gladys Shaw

The 30th ANNIVERSARY of the demise of the POLL TAX makes you think about a lot of things.

Justice. Fairness. Civility. How elites often carve out a world fit for themselves, whilst steamrolling others.

There are ultimately people in society who don't wish to share or care, but rather extract the maximum suffering from those already on the breadline; those simply doing their best.

CAN'T PAY, WON'T PAY is a timely examination of a rotten period in British politics - a period when decency and responsible government were flouted and replaced by the rallying cries of bounders, chancers and opportunists. Chris Robinson reveals who did what, together with the big political names, some of whom would rather forget their unconscionable involvement.

'An incredibly important book. A microcosm of everything that was wrong with the poll tax' Andrew Routledge

'A compelling deconstruction of the turmoil that led to the most reviled tax in British history. From sweeping analysis of political upheaval to personal accounts of protests, Robinson's taut prose charts the staggering short-sightedness of Thatcher's government and the almighty backlash that ensued. A new benchmark in the study of our country's greatest modern-day rebellion' Ed Bingham, author of Broadlake (published 31 May 2023)"

By: Chris Robinson
Foreword by: Lee Garratt
Edited by: Jeff Weston
Imprint: Thinkwell Books, UK
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 10mm
Weight: 172g
ISBN: 9781739668143
ISBN 10: 1739668146
Pages: 170
Publication Date: 03 April 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Chris Robinson was born in 1956, in Northwich, Cheshire. He grew up on a council estate and graduated in 1988 from Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education with a degree in Creative Arts / Combined Studies. In between these years, he was a trainee reporter and photographer, and moved to Germany when Margaret Thatcher came to power, finding employment with a US military community newspaper. He has three older brothers, a younger sister, and is the son of factory worker parents. He co-authored the book The Road to Recovery (2011) with Alan Boden, so Can't Pay, Won't Pay (2023) is his first lone venture. He remains a staunch socialist, having seen first-hand the darker elements of the social and education sector (qualifying as a teacher in 1995) and was a prominent member of the anti-poll tax campaign. Jeff Weston was born in 1970, in Bolton, Lancashire. He graduated in 1999 from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in English literature and commenced a career in stockbroking the following year. He is the middle son of an electrical engineer and barmaid / housewife and author of three novels (The Leaf Blower, Mutler, Wagenknecht), three plays (The Relationship, Directions, The Broken Heart Ward) and a collection of short stories (Homage to Hernandez and other stories). His writing has crossed over into sports journalism (Pitchside, Ringside and Down in the Table Tennis Dens) and book reviews / feature articles for psychotherapy magazines.