John Enoch Powell (1912-1998) was a man of many talents. Known in childhood as ‘the professor’ for his intelligence, Powell fulfilled this prophecy at the early age of 25 when he became a professor in Ancient Greek while living in Australia. When the Second World War broke out, he enlisted into the military, serving in staff and intelligence positions before reaching the rank of Brigadier in his early thirties. Powell also found success as an author, publishing his first set of poems in 1937 and going on to publish many more as well as books on classics and politics. Impressive as this was, the source of his notoriety in British history came during his time as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party. From 1950 to 1974, Powell pushed a racist and divisive rhetoric, splitting both the party and the general public. It earned him a strong base of loyal supporters who were as committed to his cause as his opponents were to destroying his political career.
The defining point of Powell’s career came in April 1968. Speaking at a meeting of the Conservative Political Centre in Birmingham, the politician delivered a scathing address against immigration in Britain from Commonwealth nations. He argued that, within twenty years, there would be 3.5 million immigrants and their descendants living in Britain, and that eventually ‘the black man will have the whip hand over the white man’.[1] The speech became known as the ‘Rivers of Blood Speech’, taken from a line where Powell stated that ‘like the Romans, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood’. It quickly became infamous in Britain as immigration was an issue of great concern for many in the country, who felt their culture was under attack from the increasing numbers of immigrants from Commonwealth Nations.
This anti-immigration speech was quickly condemned by influential members of the Conservative Party, including Party Leader and former Prime Minister Edward Heath (1916-2005), who sacked Powell from the Shadow Cabinet for his inflammatory remarks. However, despite widespread political condemnation, Powell’s words struck home with a surprising demographic; white working-class men. The London dockworkers in particular rose up in support of Enoch Powell. They organised marches in support of the politician and carried placards bearing slogans such as ‘Stop Immigration, Enoch is Right’. This was a shock to the British political establishment; this demographic had historically been strong Labour supporters, yet they were now chanting the name of a Conservative politician in the streets. The issue of immigration in Britain had clearly become one that transcended party allegiances, as the British public sough desperately for a politician who was not afraid to voice their concerns.
In 1974, Powell retired from the Conservative Party, instead choosing to run for election as a Member of Parliament for the Ulster Unionist Party. He maintained this position until his retirement from politics in 1984. The legacy of his Rivers of Blood Speech followed him throughout the rest of his career, effectively halting his progression as a politician. He never again held a ministerial office because of his controversial beliefs. In his post-political life, Powell remained an outspoken critic of British politics and the European Economic Community (a predecessor to the European Union). He also made several media appearances, including a BBC documentary on his visit to Russia. It was his second choice after the Indian High Commission in London refused him a visa to visit India, a nation which he maintained a love for his entire life. Powell passed away in 1998, aged 85.
Although Enoch Powell’s popularity was short-lived and ultimately had a devastating effect on his political career, the strong base of supporters he had gathered in the aftermath of his ‘Rivers of Blood Speech’ sent a clear message to those who remained in power. That is, that the issue of race was one which ‘roused the emotions of the public as no other’.[2] Thus, the passing of a new Immigration Act by the newly re-elected Conservative Party in 1970 can be regarded as a direct consequence of the storm stirred up by Powell in the late 1960s.
In today’s political and cultural climate, it may be difficult to understand why Enoch Powell’s ideology gained such traction among the people of Britain. However, the 1960s was a time of financial and cultural uncertainty for many in the nation. Growing numbers of immigration from the Commonwealth introduced a multicultural element to many of Britain’s towns and cities. This was unlike anything seen before in the majority-white nation, while was also dealing with the slow collapse of its vast and illustrious empire. Additionally, rising unemployment, as a consequence of national economic decline, resulted in an atmosphere of anxiety regarding the future (in terms of both individual and national interests). These factors encouraged the identification of a scapegoat in the form of Commonwealth immigrants and their descendants.
By Chloe Milburn, a current history undergraduate student at Royal Holloway.
Featured image: Photograph of Enoch Powell, 1987 by Allan Warren via Wikimedia Commons
[1] ‘Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ Speech’, The Telegraph, 2004, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3643823/Enoch-Powells-Rivers-of-Blood-speech.html [accessed: 05/09/2018].
[2] R. Pearce, Contemporary Britain: 1914-1979, (Essex: Pearson Longman, 1996), p.251.
