The Poplar Rates Rebellion, or Poplar Rates Revolt was a tax protest that took place in Poplar, London in 1921. It was led by George Lansbury, the Labour Mayor of Poplar, with the support of the Poplar Borough Council, most of whom were industrial workers. The protest defied government, the courts, and the Labour Party leadership. Poplar is an area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Right Honourable George Lansbury (February 21, 1859 - May 7, 1940) was a British Labour politician, socialist, Christian pacifist, and newspaper editor. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was between 1899 and 1965 a metropolitan borough in the County of London. ...

Poplar (now in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets) was one of the poorest districts of London; there was no government support to alleviate the high unemployment, hunger, and poverty in the borough, which had to be funded by the borough itself under the poor law. However, Poplar ratepayers were charged a precept to pay for the London County Council, Metropolitan Police, Metropolitan Asylum Board and the Metropolitan Water Board. The Arms of The London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames in East London. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... The Poor Law describes the system for the provision of social security in operation in England and the United Kingdom from the 16th century until the establishment of the Welfare State in the 20th century. ... A Precept (from the Latin præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action. ... London County Council emblem is still seen today on buildings, especially housing, from that era London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London from 1889 until 1965, when it was replaced by the Greater London Council. ... The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) (commonly referred to by its former official name of the Metropolitan Police, or colloquially as The Met; often referred to in legislation as the Police of the Metropolis) is the Home Office (territorial) police force responsible for Greater London, England, with the exception of the... The Metropolitan Water Board was founded in 1903 by the The Metropolis Water Act of 1902 to give control to the London County Council over the water supply in London. ...

After constitutional struggles with the government to achieve equalisation of the rates with the wealthier West London boroughs, Poplar Council decided to withhold the rates revenue from the four cross-London authorities, and devote the money instead to a comprehensive programme of social reform and poor relief, including equal pay for women and a minimum wage for Council workers, far in excess of the market rate. Rates are a form of taxation system in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, such as New Zealand, historically used to fund local government. ...

The Government responded by issuing a summons to the High Court. The council's response was to organise a procession of 2,000 supporters from Bow, led by the borough's official mace-bearer, to the accompaniment of a band and a banner proclaiming, "Poplar Borough Council marching to the High Court and possibly to prison". Thirty councillors, including six women, one of whom was pregnant, were sent to prison for six weeks for contempt of court for refusing a court order to remit the monies. The men were put up in Brixton Prison, and the women in Holloway. The latter were taken by cab to Brixton where council meetings were held. Bow, historically Stratford-le-Bow [1], is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... A Mace-bearer, or Macebearer, is a person who carries a mace, in either sense of that word. ... Contempt of court is a court ruling which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, deems an individual as holding contempt for the court, its process, and its invested powers. ... HM Prison Holloway is a womens prison in the London Borough of Islington, London, United Kingdom. ...

The revolt received wide public support. Lansbury addressed crowds that regularly gathered outside, through the prison bars. Neighbouring councils threatened to take similar action. Trade unions passed resolutions of support and collected funds for the councillors' families. "Poplarism" became a political term associated with large-scale municipal relief for the poor and needy, and also with local defiance of central government. Eventually the Court responded to public opinion and ordered the Councillors released, which occasioned great celebrations in Poplar. Meanwhile, a bill, The London Authorities (Financial Provision) Act 1921, was rushed through Parliament more or less equalising tax burdens between rich and poor boroughs. Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here:This article is about the legislative institution. ...

Despite the equalisation of rates, the dispute regarding the moneys paid for outlaw relief would continue for some years until the abolition of the Poor Law Unions, and therefore Poplar's power to provide outdoor relief, under the Local Government Act 1929. The Local Government Act, 1929 (19 &20 Geo V, c17) made changes to poor law and local government in England and Wales. ...

External link

• 'A different sort of Labour council'