The human factor | 22 October 2015

Just over 30 years ago, Margaret Thatcher’s government decided to look at local government finance. A young aide, John Redwood, outlined ‘some kind of poll tax which is paid by every elector’. Discussions continued, and bright young men (including the young Oliver Letwin) assured the Prime Minister that the figures would all stack up. Unpopular to start with, perhaps, but necessary. Later, Kenneth Baker had a niggle: ‘If I’m on Question Time and I’m asked “Why must the Duke and the dustman pay the same?” there’s no answer.’

Last week the energy secretary Amber Rudd was on Question Time. She was challenged by a weeping Tory voter who asked why, as a mother who worked ‘bloody hard’, she should have her tax credits taken away by a Tory government. There was no answer.

An awful sense of déjà vu is sweeping through the Tory party — not only because of Charles Moore’s second