Right to protest

We’ve seen Government supporters suggest that participating in the household charge non-payment campaign is a form of tax evasion, but we were surprised you used Friday’s editorial to endorse this line, and to conflate non-payment of the charge with corruption.

Boycotting taxes deemed unjust has an honourable political pedigree. In the early 1990s when living in the UK we refused to pay the poll tax and we pride ourselves that our action contributed in a small way to Prime Minister Thatcher’s downfall.

We’re sorry if one of the TDs supporting the household charge campaign has proved himself unworthy by misleading the tax authorities over his VAT liability. But you won’t advance your cause by implying we are all not merely wrong, but corrupt.