Rivers of Blood speech

The **"Rivers of Blood" speech** was delivered by British politician Enoch Powell on 20 April 1968 at a meeting of the Conservative Political Centre in Birmingham. Powell, then Shadow Secretary of State for Defence in the Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath, strongly criticised the immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations to the United Kingdom since the Second World War. He also opposed the Race Relations Bill, which later became law, making it illegal to refuse housing, jobs, or public services based on race, colour, or national origin. Powell called it the "Birmingham speech"; the title "Rivers of Blood" comes from a quote from Virgil's _Aeneid_:

The speech caused a national controversy, making Powell one of the most divisive politicians in Britain. Heath dismissed him from the Shadow Cabinet the next day. Some accounts suggest Powell's stance on immigration helped the Conservative Party win the 1970 election, although he later opposed the Heath ministry.

## Background

Powell, MP for Wolverhampton South West and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, addressed a meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre. The Labour government's Race Relations Bill was to have its second reading three days later. The Conservative Opposition had proposed an amendment to weaken the bill.

The Birmingham television company ATV got an early copy of the speech and sent a crew to record it. Powell told his friend Clem Jones, a journalist, that the speech would be like a rocket that "stays up."

Critics later questioned parts of the speech, including the story about a widow, Druscilla Cotterill.

## Speech

Powell recounted a conversation with a constituent who feared that in 15–20 years, "the black man will have the whip hand over the white man". He argued that many people were worried about the impact of immigration and that the government was ignoring the issue.

He mentioned a letter about an elderly woman in Wolverhampton who faced difficulties renting her rooms after immigrants moved into her street. Powell suggested voluntary re-emigration for immigrants, equality before the law, and warned that anti-discrimination laws could harm the native population.

He warned that uncontrolled immigration could lead to serious conflict, quoting Virgil: "the River Tiber foaming with much blood".

### Political

Some in the audience supported Powell, while others were critical. Powell defended his speech on radio and television. Labour and Liberal politicians condemned it, while members of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet were divided. Heath removed Powell from his post, calling the speech "racialist".

_The Times_ called it "an evil speech". Some attacks on immigrants followed, and opinion polls showed divided public opinion. A Gallup poll showed 74% agreed with Powell's speech.

### Powell's reflection on the speech

In a 1977 interview, Powell said he may have underestimated the impact of immigration and that politicians privately agreed with his warnings but did not act.

### Cultural

Polls in the 1960s and 1970s showed many Britons agreed with Powell's views on immigration. The speech has been linked to attacks on British South Asians.

Powell was referenced in early versions of the Beatles' song "Get Back". Eric Clapton also controversially supported Powell's views in 1976.

## Identity of the woman mentioned in the speech

Attempts to identify the woman Powell mentioned were largely unsuccessful. She was later reported to be Druscilla Cotterill (1907–1978), a widow who lived in Wolverhampton.

## Support for the speech

The phrase "Enoch [Powell] was right" has been used by supporters to express agreement with his warnings on immigration.

Powell received support from working-class voters and the far-right, and remains referenced in social media and demonstrations.

## Acknowledgement from politicians

Some politicians later acknowledged Powell had raised valid points. Margaret Thatcher said he "made a valid argument, if in sometimes regrettable terms". Edward Heath said Powell's remarks on the "economic burden of immigration" had been "not without prescience". Michael Foot said Powell was misunderstood and did not predict actual bloodshed. Nigel Farage and Norman Tebbit also later expressed partial agreement with Powell's warnings.