Poll Tax Rebel

On 11 July 1991, Fields was jailed for refusing to pay his poll tax bill of £373. In defence of the court's decision, Labour leader Neil Kinnock said "Law makers must not be law breakers. I have always made that clear."

Fields's sentence was for 60 days, meaning that he retained his seat in the House of Commons, as MPs only automatically lose their seat if they are imprisoned for more than a year.

Labour Party members criticised Fields for his militant approach to the poll tax and his failure to support other Labour candidates, in particular Peter Kilfoyle in a by-election for the neighbouring constituency of Liverpool Walton, following Eric Heffer's death.

Fields was expelled from the Labour Party in December 1991 along with other members of Militant, including Dave Nellist, then the only other MP who was a member of the tendency.