| Biography | John Enoch Powell, MBE 16 June 1912 8 February 1998) was an English politician, classical scholar, linguist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP, 195074), Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP (197487), and Minister of Health (196063). He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made a controversial speech on immigration, now widely referred to as the "Rivers of Blood" speech. In response, he was dismissed from his position as Shadow Defence Secretary (196568) in the Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath. Thirty years later Heath commented that Powell's remarks on the "economic burden of immigration" had been "not without prescience."
A poll at the time suggested that 74% of the UK population agreed with Powell's opinions and his supporters claim that this large public following which Powell attracted helped the Conservatives to win the 1970 general election,[6]:568 and perhaps cost them the February 1974 general election,:7102 when Powell turned his back on the Conservatives by endorsing a vote for Labour, who returned as a minority government in early March following a hung parliament. He returned to the House of Commons in October 1974 as the Ulster Unionist Party MP for the Northern Irish constituency of South Down until he was defeated in the 1987 general election.
Before entering politics, he had been a classical scholar, becoming a full Professor of Ancient Greek at the age of 25. During the Second World War, he served in both staff and intelligence positions, reaching the rank of brigadier in his early thirties. He also wrote poetry, his first works being published in 1937, as well as many books on classical and political subjects. |