Difference between revisions of "Enoch Powell"
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'''John Enoch Powell''' (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British [[conservative]] [[British]] politician. | '''John Enoch Powell''' (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British [[conservative]] [[British]] politician. | ||
| − | Born | + | Born in Birmingham, Enoch Powell was educated at King Edward’s School, Birmingham, then Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1937 he was appointed Professor of Greek at Sydney University at the age of 25. In 1939 he returned to Britain to enlist in the army as a private. Although commissioned on the General List, he was soon transferred to the Intelligence Corps and transferred to Cairo. He was actually fluent in the languages used by the armies: French, Italian and German. In August 1943 he was posted to Delhi. By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of brigadier. |
He joined the [[Conservative Party]] and was elected to the British parliament in 1950 as Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West, a constituency he held until 1974. He was Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (1955–1957), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1957–1958) and Minister of Health (1960–1963). | He joined the [[Conservative Party]] and was elected to the British parliament in 1950 as Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West, a constituency he held until 1974. He was Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (1955–1957), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1957–1958) and Minister of Health (1960–1963). | ||
| − | He often warned of the dangers of immigration and multiracialism and their affects on national identity, and was expelled from the shadow cabinet of [[Conservative Party]] leader [[Edward Heath]] in 1968 after his notoriously inflammatory 'Rivers of Blood' speech. He also opposed | + | He often warned of the dangers of immigration and multiracialism and their affects on national identity, and was expelled from the shadow cabinet of [[Conservative Party]] leader [[Edward Heath]] in 1968 after his notoriously inflammatory 'Rivers of Blood' speech. He also opposed Britain's membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) (now the [[European Union]]), which he believed undermined British sovereignty. |
| − | By 1974 Powell was so disillusioned with the Conservative Party | + | By 1974 Powell was so disillusioned with the Conservative Party policy on the EEC that he decided not to stand as a candidate at the general election and urged the public to vote for the [[Labour Party]], which promised a referendum on the question. For a short while he believed that his political life was over but in October 1974 he was invited to stand as [[Ulster Unionist Party]] candidate for South Down, and won the seat. He spent the rest of his parliamentary career until 1987 serving this constituency. |
In 1994 he published his translation of St Matthew's Gospel. | In 1994 he published his translation of St Matthew's Gospel. | ||
Revision as of 20:58, March 26, 2008
John Enoch Powell (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British conservative British politician. Born in Birmingham, Enoch Powell was educated at King Edward’s School, Birmingham, then Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1937 he was appointed Professor of Greek at Sydney University at the age of 25. In 1939 he returned to Britain to enlist in the army as a private. Although commissioned on the General List, he was soon transferred to the Intelligence Corps and transferred to Cairo. He was actually fluent in the languages used by the armies: French, Italian and German. In August 1943 he was posted to Delhi. By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of brigadier.
He joined the Conservative Party and was elected to the British parliament in 1950 as Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West, a constituency he held until 1974. He was Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (1955–1957), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1957–1958) and Minister of Health (1960–1963).
He often warned of the dangers of immigration and multiracialism and their affects on national identity, and was expelled from the shadow cabinet of Conservative Party leader Edward Heath in 1968 after his notoriously inflammatory 'Rivers of Blood' speech. He also opposed Britain's membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) (now the European Union), which he believed undermined British sovereignty.
By 1974 Powell was so disillusioned with the Conservative Party policy on the EEC that he decided not to stand as a candidate at the general election and urged the public to vote for the Labour Party, which promised a referendum on the question. For a short while he believed that his political life was over but in October 1974 he was invited to stand as Ulster Unionist Party candidate for South Down, and won the seat. He spent the rest of his parliamentary career until 1987 serving this constituency.
In 1994 he published his translation of St Matthew's Gospel.
