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Working-class support for Powell's speech of 20 April 1968 was widespread, especially among London dockers, who struck in support between 23 and 26 April. One reason given was that Powell was being penalized by the political establishment for daring to say what was commonplace in white working-class communities: that there were too many colored immigrants. This points to a possible explanation for the contradiction between the left-wing attitudes generally associated with dockers and other strongly unionized workers and the overtly right-wing orientation of Powell's discourse. The strikers were showing their confidence in their own ability to act independently of the dominant authority structures of British society, including the established trade union hierarchy and the Labour Party. Racism therefore provides only a reductionist answer and cannot be isolated from other equally important factors in the context of general discontent with the Labour government of the time.<ref>Fred Lindop, "Racism and the Working Class: Strikes in Support of Enoch Powell in 1968." ''Labour History Review'' 2001 66(1): 79-100 in [[EBSCO]] </ref>  

Working-class support for Powell's speech of 20 April 1968 was widespread, especially among London dockers, who struck in support between 23 and 26 April. One reason given was that Powell was being penalized by the political establishment for daring to say what was commonplace in white working-class communities: that there were too many colored immigrants. This points to a possible explanation for the contradiction between the left-wing attitudes generally associated with dockers and other strongly unionized workers and the overtly right-wing orientation of Powell's discourse. The strikers were showing their confidence in their own ability to act independently of the dominant authority structures of British society, including the established trade union hierarchy and the Labour Party. Racism therefore provides only a reductionist answer and cannot be isolated from other equally important factors in the context of general discontent with the Labour government of the time.<ref>Fred Lindop, "Racism and the Working Class: Strikes in Support of Enoch Powell in 1968." ''Labour History Review'' 2001 66(1): 79-100 in [[EBSCO]] </ref>  

 

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.

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.