Poll tax riots
31st March 1990 at Trafalgar square, Kensington Park
Poll tax introduced by Margret Thatcher's government, in which everyone paid the same fixed tax sum set by their local authority, this was controversial as it meant that everyone regardless of their income or property ownership had to pay the same fixed rate, shifting the tax burden to the working class and acted as a tax cut to the rich. After being introduced for the start of 1990 and by August one in five taxpayers were not paying. This was abolished in 1991 and replaced by the council tax system in 1993.
Mass protests were organised by the ‘All Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation’ which was created by ‘Militant’, a Marxist-ideology group in the Labour party
200,000 people gathered to protest and march in Trafalgar square, before several police vans were driven at protesters and began attacking them. 5,000 were injured, 491 arrested
People believed this led to Margret Thatcher's resignation and overall loss to John Major in the next election due to the unpopularity of the poll tax and John Major taking over her resignation, scrapping the poll tax and winning the election.
1990s recession/homelessness
Declared in January 1991 and ending in April 1993 an increase in high interest rates meant that there was a rise in costs such as mortgage payments and borrowing costs, leaving people with less disposable income and therefore a fall in consumer spending in the economy. Unemployment rose by 10% and an increase in house repossessions due to people being unable to afford increasing mortgage payments. The graph shows that during 1988-1989 there was a rapid increase in the UK house price changing rising up to 30% from 10%
In 1979 there was 57,200 people accepted as homeless in the UK, which then rose to 150,000 in 1990 to record levels, with the government also spending £10.3 billion on housing during 1979-1980 whilst only spending £3.4 billion in 1989-1990
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