Enoch Powell

**John Enoch Powell, MBE** (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician in the Conservative Party.

## Early life

Powell was born on June 16, 1912 in Birmingham, England and raised there. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and at School of Oriental and African Studies.

Before becoming a politician, Powell was a professor of Ancient Greek at Sydney University, Australia. When World War II, started he joined the British Army in 1939 as a private but, by 1945, had been promoted to Brigadier.

## Political career

He was elected to the House of Commons in 1950, and was a government minister in 1957-1958 and again between 1960 and 1963.  In 1962 when he was Minister of Health he launched the Hospital Plan which had plans for 90 new hospitals, 134 to be rebuilt and about 1000 more small hospitals to be closed - the biggest building programme the NHS had seen.

He made a speech in 1968 in which he said that if the United Kingdom let too many immigrants live there, there would be fighting in the streets.

In 1974 he left the Conservative Party before the February election, and became an MP in Northern Ireland for the Ulster Unionist Party in October 1974.

## Personal life

Powell was married to Pamela Wilson from 1952 until his death in 1998. They had two daughters.

### Death

Powell was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1992. He died on February 8, 1998 in London, England from the illness, aged 85. He is buried at Warwick Cemetery, Warwick, Warwickshire, England.

## Other websites

- Enoch Powell: Life and Views

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: <small>Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, The Right Honourable</small>
- **birthname**: John Enoch Powell
- **honorific-suffix**: <small>Order of the British Empire, MBE</small>
- **image**: Enoch Powell 6 Allan Warren.jpg
- **caption**: Portrait taken by Allan Warren
- **office**: Secretary of State for Health, Minister of Health
- **term start**: 27 July 1960
- **term end**: 18 October 1963
- **primeminister**: Harold Macmillan
- **predecessor**: Derek Walker-Smith
- **successor**: Anthony Barber, Baron Barber, Anthony Barber
- **office2**: Financial Secretary to the Treasury
- **term start2**: 1957
- **term end2**: 1958
- **primeminister2**: Harold Macmillan
- **predecessor2**: Henry Brooke, Baron Brooke of Cumnor, Henry Brooke
- **successor2**: Jocelyn Simon, Baron Simon of Glaisdale, Jack Simon
- **office3**: Secretary of State for Defence, Shadow Defence Secretary
- **term start3**: July 1965
- **term end3**: 21 April 1968
- **leader3**: Edward Heath
- **predecessor3**: Peter Thorneycroft
- **successor3**: Reginald Maudling
- **office6**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Wolverhampton South West (UK Parliament constituency), Wolverhampton South West
- **term start6**: 23 February 1950
- **term end6**: 28 February 1974
- **predecessor6**: Constituency Created
- **successor6**: Nicholas Budgen
- **office5**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for South Down (UK Parliament constituency), South Down
- **term start5**: 10 October 1974
- **term end5**: 11 June 1987
- **predecessor5**: Lawrence Orr
- **successor5**: Eddie McGrady
- **birth place**: Birmingham, England
- **death place**: London, England
- **nationality**: British (but registered as an Australian (then under common citizenship) when he joined the Army)
- **spouse**: Pamela Wilson (m. 1952–98, his death)
- **party**: Conservative Party (UK), Conservative (1950–74)
Ulster Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist (1974–87)
- **children**: 2 daughters
- **alma mater**: Trinity College, Cambridge
School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS
- **occupation**: Member of Parliament (UK), Member of Parliament 1950–87
Conservative Research Department 1945–50
 Professor of Greek language, Greek at Sydney University 1937–39
- **profession**: Politician,
Classics, Classical scholar,
Poet, published works 1937, 1939, 1951.
- **branch**:  British Army
• Royal Warwickshire Regiment
• General Service Corps
• Intelligence Corps (United Kingdom), Intelligence Corps
- **serviceyears**: 1939–45
- **rank**: • Private (rank), Private in 1939
• Brigadier (United Kingdom), Brigadier by 1945
- **battles**: World War II
• North African Campaign
• India in World War II, India
- **awards**:  War Medal 1939–1945, British War Medal
 Africa Star
 Order of the British Empire, Military OBE