Train-spotting historical context What was the poll tax and why was it introduced to Scotland first? The poll tax (Also known as community charge) was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the domestic rates in Scotland from 1989. It provided a for a single flat-rate tax on every adult at a rate set by the local authority. It was introduced to Scotland first because she wanted to trial the tax before introducing it to England. Why do you think that the thatcher government was so unpopular in Scotland? Thatchers government was unpopular due to their trailing of the tax on Scotland as the party knew that they would never win any seats in the country anyway so they may as well try the tax there instead of somewhere that keeps them in power (England) How does the film reflect the social conditions of the day? It shows how the Scottish people had to suffer due to the new taxing system and how it made found Scottish people rise up to rebel against the g