Poplar rates rebellion mural, Hale Street

Image: © Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff Taken: 26 Jun 2008

This mural commemorates an important radical victory in 1921 when Poplar's Labour council, under the mayor George Lansbury, took a unilateral decision to use more of the money raised by the rates on poor relief in their own disadvantaged borough instead of forwarding it to the government for city-wide disbursement. As a result of their defiance Lansbury and the majority of the local council (24 men, 6 women) were imprisoned and during that period council meetings took place in jail. Huge crowds gathered outside Brixton prison to show solidarity. After six weeks of imprisonment, the councillors were released and, shortly afterwards, a new system of levies introduced. As a result of Lansbury's stand, further alleviating reforms were also introduced to local government finance and poor relief. The mural lists the names of the rate rebels but it appears to be the only public commemoration of the protest to be found in the borough.

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