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Guinea pigs

The New Year release of cabinet papers from 30 years ago is not the first time Oliver Letwin has been exposed as one of the most right-wing of Thatcher's 'advisers'. Last year it was over the poll tax.

As reported in the Guardian (30 December 2014), cabinet ministers like Nigel Lawson and Douglas Hurd voiced opposition to Thatcher's flat-rate tax, foreseeing mass resistance to such a harsh attack on working people.

But 29-year-old policy adviser Letwin pushed for Thatcher's flagship local government policy - initially known as the 'residence charge' - to be tried out in Scotland first. This confirmed the charge, the paper said, that Thatcher treated people there as "guinea pigs".

Pushing ahead on that option was Thatcher's gravest mistake. 18 million people refused to pay, backed up and organised by the anti-poll tax unions. Militant, forerunner of the Socialist, was to the fore. The defeat of the poll tax spelled her downfall.

Who knows what next year will reveal?

Clare Doyle, Hackney, north London

Poll tax provocateurs

I was reading some of the information released about Thatcher's government, and wondered if anything has ever been found proving the poll tax riot (1990) was set up.

In the national steel strike (1980) we experienced people turning up at peaceful picket lines and causing trouble. We all felt it was being set up to discredit the strike.

My neighbours were part of a coachload of people who went to London for the anti-poll tax march. Half the coach was filled with pensioners. Les and Edna said they parked the coach and joined the march and it was all very friendly.

But later as they walked, they heard chanting and shouts. On one side of the road the police parted ranks and about 100 'yobs', as Edna called them, came out of a side street.

After that the mood changed completely and people became worried, so about half of their group decided to return to their coach - but they were stopped. The police line at the back of the march refused to let them leave the march.

Les and Edna were pensioners, there were people with pushchairs and kids - surely letting people go away from any trouble was a good idea? They were forced down the road until they couldn't move. People were crying. 'Shameful' is the term they used to describe how they were treated.

I would love to hear evidence that the disruption and violence was down to Thatcher. Who were these 'yobs' who appeared from nowhere with ease and changed the atmosphere from peaceful protest to riot?

Fred Beach, Forest of Dean

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