Enoch Powell

I often find myself reading a book, or having a conversation, in which I hear about someone I want to know more about. Par for the course at this point in proceedings is to bring up their Wikipedia page and have a brief flick through to top up my general knowledge. When I began to develop an interest in the life and times of Enoch Powell, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer length and detail of his Wikipedia page. He is a man of the ‘old school’, a true intellectual and a highly impressive operator.

It is overwhelmingly clear that Powell was someone intent not upon following the herd and keeping to the status quo, but a man who was determined to think objectively, see things as they were and take the tough decisions where necessary even if it meant sparking controversy among both MPs and certain factions of the electorate alike. What is also clear about Enoch Powell is that he was highly ambitious, fiercely motivated and dead-set upon breaking all manner of records. Among those accolades, which came to define him as such, were his appointment as a full professor of Ancient Greek at the tender age of 25 after having achieved a double starred first in Latin and Greek while studying at Cambridge and rising to the highly esteemed rank of Brigadier whilst serving in the British Military.

Powell became a political outlaw in the wake of his controversial “Rivers of Blood” speech, which he delivered on 20th April 1968. The key point which must be raised in relation to this speech was that, as an MP, Powell had a duty to voice the concerns of his Wolverhampton constituents in parliament and in public. Whilst the speech was branded as evil by ‘The Times’ newspaper and sent shockwaves throughout the country, a Gallup poll at the end of April showed that 74% of those asked agreed with his speech and only 15% disagreed, 11% unsure.

Without getting into the mechanics of the speech and the ensuing debate surrounding Powell’s political credibility, there are a number of things about Enoch Powell that I find to be very impressive. Firstly I am impressed by his rigorous intellect, meticulous attention to detail and boundless ambition, which characterise so much of his life and career. Furthermore, Powell had the courage to speak out on issues that required urgent attention, issues that others were happy to sweep under the carpet, so as to avoid the backlash of public protest. He was able to see the bigger picture and distinguish between what people wanted and what needed to happen, a key attribute of any responsible person tasked with making important decisions.

Powell was raised and educated at a time when ‘A’ grades in key examinations were a rarity rather than the norm. It was a time when the educational system was a meritocracy, by comparison to the modern day propaganda machine that is set (at all costs) upon not hurting people’s feelings and being seen to narrow the gap between the most and least intelligent/hard working candidates. It is a brute fact of life that we are not all created equal and it is unfortunate that, as a society, we are so intent upon promoting a false sense of equality. This modern approach is set firmly at odds with the old fashioned meritocratic system that was an accepted commonplace in times gone by, times indeed when over-achievement was championed and characteristic of the great British spirit.

Controversy has surrounded Powell ever since his “Rivers of Blood” speech, which ultimately led to his becoming an outcast – unfortunate really given that he was a highly intelligent man and competent decision maker who was able to clearly see things in an objective fashion. That his political views should have been largely shunned by mainstream politicians after 1968 is a mighty shame, especially given that he had cogent views on other areas asides from immigration, which could have helped guide Britain towards a prosperous future.