Letter to Neil Kinnock MP (dismisses speculation on community charge reform)

Document type:	Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue:	No.10 Downing Street
Source:	Thatcher Archive
Editorial comments:	See BBC Radio News Report 2200 27 April 1990. "The Prime Minister has rejected a call from the Labour party for a Commons statement on reports that the Government may introduce a Parliamentary Bill before the summer recess making significant changes to the community charge. In a letter to Mr Kinnock, Mrs Thatcher described the reports as speculation. However, Government sources have confirmed that nothing had been ruled out by ministers and officials who are reviewing the implementation of the poll tax".
Importance ranking:	Major
Word count:	136
Themes:	Labour Party & socialism, Community charge (“poll tax”)

Dear Mr Kinnock,

Thank you for your letter of today's date about the Community Charge. You refer to reports in this morning's press. These are speculation. Chris PattenThe Secretary of State for the Environment made the Government's position quite clear during the debate on Wednesday. I enclose the relevant extract from Hansard. [not in file] In the light of that I see no need for a statement of the kind you envisage.

You refer to an ‘omission’ in the debate on the Community Charge. The most striking omission in that debate was surely of any Opposition policy on the matter; an omission which your own senior colleagues have described elsewhere as cynical, vacuous and despicable.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher