Political Developments: The departure of Whitelaw and Poll Tax Flashcards
(46 cards)
Was Whitelaw a Wet or a Dry?
He was a Wet
Despite Whitelaw being a Wet, how was he to Thatcher?
He was loyal to Thatcher
What was Whitelaw able to do with Thatcher’s policies?
Warn Thatcher when her policies were going to far
When did Whitelaw leave office?
1987
Why did Whitelaw leave office?
Declining Health
Which 2 ministers was Thatcher dependent on after Whitelaw left?
Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson
What was the role of Whitelaw while he was in Thatcher’s cabinet?
He was the Deputy Prime Minister
Which policy did Thatcher introduce which Whitelaw was not able to stop her from implementing?
Poll Tax
What did the Poll Tax replace?
Rates
What were rates?
Taxes that had to be paid on properties
What had Thatcher done to rates throughout her time as PM?
She had capped them for councils
What year had Thatcher capped rates?
1985
Who was Thatcher’s Chancellor of the Exchequer in her third term?
Nigel Lawson
What did Lawson say about Poll Tax?
It would be political suicide
Why did Thatcher think the Poll Tax would be beneficial for society?
Everyone would be paying the same amount of tax
Where did Thatcher introduce Poll Tax first?
Scotland
What year did Thatcher introduce poll tax in Scotland?
1989
How many seats had the Conservatives won in Scotland in the 1987 election?
10 seats
How many seats had Labour won in Scotland in the 1987 election?
50 seats
What year was Poll Tax introduced to England and Wales?
1990
How many people rioted in London in 1990 as a response to poll tax?
200,000 people
Which class did Thatcher lose a lot of her voters from?
Middle-class
What percentage of homeowners voted Conservative?
40%
How many people protested against the Poll Tax in Scotland?
20,000
