Can't Pay Won't Pay' Hornsey and Wood Green Against the Poll Tax

In 1990 Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government introduced the Poll Tax or 'Community Charge' in England. The tax was implemented to fund local authorities and was based on a single rate for adult residents rather than on the price of property. The tax meant poorer residents had to pay the same amount of tax as their wealthier counterparts. The Poll Tax sparked a national outcry and led to a mass movement of non-payment across Britain.

This banner was made by members of the campaigning organisation Hornsey and Wood Green Against the Poll Tax. The group was formed in January 1989 to frustrate the implementation of the poll tax and campaign for non-payment. The banner was used for a number of events locally, including the burning of poll tax registration forms on Ducketts Common. It was also carried at the national demonstration on the 31 March 1990 where thousands of protestors clashed with riot police in Trafalgar Square.