Enoch Powell is often portrayed as an icon of the far right in the UK. Is this an insult to his memory?

Question

Enoch Powell is most remembered for his “Rivers of Blood” speech, which is often used by the far right anti-immigrationists and anti-multiculturalists as justification for discrimination and bigotry. As a result, he has been vilified and demonised by many on the left as bigot and a racist himself.

And yet Powell was a strong proponent of social justice, a stance that often set him at loggerheads with his own party. He supported the abolition of the death penalty, and on numerous occasions voted against its return. He was in favour of homosexual law reform, supporting the legalisation of homosexuality and fairer treatment of homosexuals.

Prior to Powell’s appointment as Minister of Health in the 1960s, many non-white immigrants who held full rights of citizenship in Britain were obliged to take the jobs that no one else wanted and were often paid considerably less than their white counterparts. Powell saw this as unjust and was responsible for overseeing the employment of a large number of Commonwealth immigrants by the understaffed National Health Service.

In the “Rivers of Blood” speech itself, Powel aired views held by many Conservatives at the time, in defence of one of his white constituents he saw as having been discriminated against. What was unfortunate was the fact that he connected this injustice with the race-relations act and used intemperate and inflammatory language in his arguments against it. Powel, in fact, later told colleagues that he very much regretted giving the speech, since it ended his political career.

In 1972, Powell wrote in a letter to the Wolverhampton Express and Star "I have and always will set my face like flint against making any difference between one citizen of this country and another on grounds of his origins."

So in my view, Powell was very far from being a racist or a bigot, and those who either idolise him or vilify him as such obviously don’t know much about him apart from that single unfortunate speech in 1968.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_Powell#_note-30

Answer 1

No he was not a racist but a realist, an academic, and an intellectual, far more intelligent than any of his peers thus disliked by them and wrongfully vilified for his opinions.

Answer 2

No it became a time time Britain became wanting labour and ought to grant stable opportunites for desirable immigrants. the situation interior the 70's became somewhat different. Unemployment became spiralling and industry became failing via fact of restrictive practices. controlled immigration has continuously benefitted Britain in spite of the incontrovertible fact that it out of control it incredibly is risky. The "rivers of blood speeech" is intentionally misunderstood with the help of Powell's warring parties. It became no longer a decision to hands, it became a warning against a racist backlash. He became highlighting the risky of what has now take place via New Labours open door coverage. we've great ghettoised inhabitants that don't combination and which breeds violence and resentment. There factors in my city the place community gangs have placed up "no whites" indications on lamposts" and the police don't have the components to do something approximately it. Racist sentiments are an increasing sort of being overtly voiced in all communities. Powell's speech would look uneccessarily provocative, yet he had completly lost his persistence with the cupboard. He became involved with the on the spot concern, no longer how lazy tabloid newshounds many years interior the destiny would falsely portray it. the day gone by i ought to overhear my 20 365 days previous neighbour, a granddaughter of asain immigrants, rant loudly approximately muslim immigrants. in this rant she talked approximately as for britain to do to muslims what hitler did to the Jews. now's that no longer what Enoch Powell became warning approximately?

Answer 3

.Yes it is, he was right from what I have read.

With respect to decent Muslim people for example, I would make this comment echoing what Enoch Powell said about massive numbers of immigrants from vastly different cultures coming to the UK:

I think it is a mistake to bring so many people from an old tradition like Islam to the west, it has been shown already not to work.

Remember there are at least 1.6 million Muslims in the UK excluding those we do not know about. If only 2% are terrorists or sympathisers it means 32,000 terrorists or those who will help them ( 2% of 1.6 million= 32,000)

You can't blame them in a way they think they must fight for Islam; we are to blame for allowing so many to come here. This is not "racist" Islam is a religion not a race, it is political strategy needed to preserve the UK.

Answer 4

Allways the Classical Scholar and reflecting on the Getto type centres of the non white population throughout Britain to which they all migrate and the race riots of recent years who can now dout that he was absolutely correct .

Answer 5

Yes he was a right winger but I think his speach (rivers of blood) was timely and may well have posponed what at that time seemed inevitable and given time to correct the problem. I think we need more time and I hope we get it

Answer 6

Very true - his use of classical imagery in one speech was used by his opponents to denigrate and pigeonhole him - the very same tactics a certain government uses today.

Answer 7

He was not a racist. What he said was twisted and misinterpreted by his opponents.
He predicted some of the problems we have experienced.

Answer 8

Sorry - it was like reading War & Peace - got bored halfway through - is his memory insulted - YES!

He was vilified throughout for his point of view - yet, in the end, as we can see - he was right!

Our country should have listened to him - we wouldn't be in the position we are now.

Answer 9

Yes he was vilified!! I wish we could have more politicians like him in power now!

Answer 10

I think he was Harold Wilsons Whipping boy,,, Or Mouthpiece,,,,,,,