THIS week Somerset County Council successfully approved its last ever budget, which will see council tax bills rise by just under three per cent.

The county council voted on Wednesday February 23 to pass the final budget before it and the four district councils are formally replaced by the new unitary Somerset Council in April 2023.

Council leader David Fothergill calling it “the most positive budget in my time as leader.”

How this budget will be taken by the people of Somerset is yet to be seen but during the council meeting in 1991, there were protests over the new then called 'poll tax'.

Police ejected about fifty anti-poll tax protestors who seriously disrupted the budget fixing meeting of Taunton Deane Council.

Reports said that demonstrators effectively took over the council chamber for a time and held their own meeting while official councillors looked on in dismay.

Outside police watched on as more protestors waved banners and continued their noisy demonstration against the suggested tax.

Somerset County Gazette: march 1st 1991 poll tax gazette

Among the protestors, some had signs saying 'no to jail time' which was in reference to the council saying they will take poll tax non-payers to court and potentially put them in jail.

After all the action of the protest died down, the council finished their meeting and confirmed the budget.

The increase of the poll tax from the year prior (1990) was set at nine percent back then, a lot more than the three percent in 2022.

The council agreed that adults in Taunton Deane would face poll tax bills averaging £385 from April 1991.

That figure is the lowest in the county and was well below the initial estimates made by council members prior to the protests.

The council said at the time they could keep it relatively low due to income from car parking, livestock market and leisure facilities.

However it does make you think, did the protesters and their protests play a part.