Margaret Thatcher was almost fined for not registering for poll tax

Margaret Thatcher was threatened with a fine for forgetting to register for the poll tax, despite making it a flagship policy during her tenure as prime minister, new documents have revealed.

The embarrassing oversight, due in part to a bureaucratic wrangle between Westminster City Council and the Cabinet Office, was quickly rectified but got the much-hated policy off to a bad start.

The poll tax is widely regarded as the biggest blunder of her 11 years in power, and one which cost her the premiership.

In early 1989, Westminster City Council began issuing registration forms, and one form covering the various residencies in and around Downing Street - including No 10 - was sent to the Treasury.

But the Cabinet Office complained that it was "inappropriate" to issue a single form "asking a number of essentially personal questions" on behalf of individual occupants.

Margaret Thatcher told John Major she hoped the poll tax reforms would be blamed on councils. Credit: PA

Individual forms were then sent out, but when no details were sent back, the council registration officer, David J Hopkins, warned he would have to act.

In a letter dated May 22 1989, he said: "My records show that the Community Charge Registration form recently sent to you has not been returned.

"I wish to advise that you are required by law to supply the relevant information within 21 days of this request and failure to do so may lead to a penalty being imposed."

The letter was addressed to the "Resident/Owner" at "Rooms First Floor, 10 Downing Street, London W1 9MN".

Officials quickly arranged for Mrs Thatcher to complete the form, only to find that the council had sent the wrong one and she had to complete another.

Mrs Thatcher responded cheerfully, noting that her first effort was "a good practice run", but she could not brush off serious criticism of the measure so lightly.

The poll tax proposal saw some of the worst rioting in London in decades. Credit: PA

The poll tax - actually called the community charge - was brought in to replace the old system of rates.

Mrs Thatcher hoped it would encourage voters to get rid of high-spending Labour councils, but the changes meant huge increases for many, even those in traditional Tory areas, and the public backlash resulted in protests.

According to records, Thatcher was stunned by the reaction, telling chancellor John Major that she assumed the public would blame councils for rising costs.

"But in recent weeks that has not happened," she lamented. "Rather the general public blamed the high levels of community charge on the government because of their responsibility for introducing the new system."

Despite a "rapid review" of changes for the next year, the political damage had already been done.

Mrs Thatcher was out of office by the end of the year.