He advised it was better to test out
the poll tax in Scotland as the Treasury, and several cabinet ministers, were sceptical about the new levy.
Twenty five years after punishing the poor with
the poll tax, Tory councils want to punish them again for using their vote.
The Poll Tax was,however, made a political causecelebre by extremists resulting in violent street demonstrations which we all viewed on TV.
``I suppose it is the supreme irony that in the city of `can't pay won't pay' -where people took themselves off the electoral register in droves to avoid paying
the poll tax -we now have people who paid too much.''
Salmond told Adams: "In your programme, (Gifford) talked about PS1.7million that he claims they have outstanding on
the poll tax.
DRAMA: Ron was rushed to hospital; DEFIANT: Brown tangles with cops during a protest against
the Poll Tax; NOTORIOUS: Ron with female friend
Socialist Tommy Sheridan, who was jailed for his part in
the poll tax protests, said: "It's about time.
"If the Scottish Executive think
the Poll Tax is an option for local government funding, they could face the same fate.
And he said the controversial measure could even become as notorious as
the poll tax when the history books are written about Scotland's place in the UK.
Labour has very successfully revived the spectre of
the poll tax, which was introduced by Mr Howard, left, when in Maggie Thatcher's last government.
And as I remember,
the poll tax wasn't a great electoral advantage to the Tory government."
Sheridan, who led Scotland's fight against
the Poll Tax more than 20 years ago, will also organise a mass rally in Glasgow on June 1.