Peace Tax Campaign

The Peace Tax Campaign was started in 1977 by Stanley Keeble, a Cornish Quaker. The objective of the campaign was to establish the legal right to conscientious objection to military taxation, as a parallel to the established legal right to conscientious objection to military service. The suggestion was that the proportion of tax that would be used for military purposes should instead be used for peacemaking.

Keeble aired the idea with his contacts in peace organisations and in October 1977 sent out a leaflet announcing the Peace Tax Campaign. Originally conceived as a campaign of the Peace Pledge Union, it was soon established as a separate body. The campaign began with letters, lectures and meetings to raise awareness of its aims. Peace and religious groups, as well as concerned individuals, were encouraged to lobby their MPs to support a change in the law. In August 1981 a letter to the Guardian signed by parliamentary and religious representatives publicised the campaign and resulted in many new declarations of support. By 1983 there were over 3,000 supporters and over 50 local co-ordinators.

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