Failure in British government
Subtitle: the politics of the poll tax
By: David Butler, Andrew Adonis, Tony Travers.
Contributors: Adonis, Andrew, 1963-; Travers, Tony.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Oxford; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 342
Subjects: Poll tax -- Great Britain -- History; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 20th century
Description: Reviled by the public and disowned by most of its authors, the poll tax is the most celebrated disaster in post-war British politics. This book tells for the first time the full and gripping story of the policy that toppled the century's longest-serving Prime Minister and brought grandmothers onto the streets in protest.

Margaret Thatcher, Nigel Lawson, Michael Heseltine, and virtually the entire cast of 1980s British politics feature as the tale unfolds. Drawing on unique access to the often conflicting accounts of many of the leading players, the authors paint an extraordinary picture of the journey of the poll tax from conception to demise.

The book is much more than a fascinating account of a remarkable piece of British political history. The authors assess the light the whole affair casts on the workings of British government, and draw conclusions that are just as compelling as the events they describe. Looking at each of the main political institutions in turn, they show how the poll tax saga undermines the conventional wisdom about the workings of British government.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 316-323) and index.