Tory candidate criticised for race warning

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Tory candidate criticised for race warning

By Richard Holt

Last Updated: 1:31pm GMT 04/11/2007

A Conservative parliamentary candidate has been summoned to meet the Tory Party chairwoman after praising Enoch Powell's infamous "rivers of blood" speech.



Mr Hastilow has been summoned to meet the Tory Party chairwoman


Nigel Hastilow, the Tory candidate in the key Midlands seat of Halesowen and Rowley Regis, wrote in a newspaper column that Mr Powell's warnings about uncontrolled immigration were right.

Peter Hain, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said that Mr Hastliow's comments exposed the "racist underbelly" in the Conservative Party.

In a column for the Express and Star newspaper in Wolverhampton, Mr Hastilow wrote: "When you ask most people in the Black Country what the single biggest problem facing the country is, most say immigration.

"Many insist: 'Enoch Powell was right'.

"Enoch, once MP for Wolverhampton South-West, was sacked from the Conservative front bench and marginalised politically for his 1968 'rivers of blood' speech, warning that uncontrolled immigration would change our country irrevocably. He was right. It has changed dramatically."

He also wrote: "They have more or less given up complaining about the way we roll out the red carpet for foreigners while leaving the locals to fend for themselves."

Mr Hastilow later said his views were in line with party policy and reflected the views of many people in the West Midlands.
"Uncontrolled immigration will do this country great damage," he told the Observer. "In the last 10 years we have had more or less uncontrolled immigration."

Mr Hain told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show that the Tories should "get rid" of Mr Hastilow to show that "racism, along with Enoch Powell, is banished to the past".

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, told ITV1's Sunday Edition that Mr Hastilow's comments were "very unwise".
He said the constituency party would have to "think very hard" about how they expect their candidate to behave.

George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, said he didn't agree with the candidate's comments.

He told the BBC that Mr Hastilow had been called into an urgent meeting with Caroline Spelman, the party chairwoman, in order to "explain himself".

[source]

[Errigal]

He told the BBC that Mr Hastilow had been called into an urgent meeting with Caroline Spelman, the party chairwoman, in order to "explain himself".

Every day there is a new story of someone being treated like a schoolchild who must "explain himself". This is no way for an adult man to be treated.

[Aptrgangr]

Tory candidate quits after race row

Sunday November 4, 2007 4:48 PM

Tory Nigel Hastilow has resigned as a Parliamentary candidate after declaring that Enoch Powell was "right" when he gave his notorious "Rivers of Blood" anti-immigration speech.
Mr Hastilow stepped down after being summoned to a meeting with Tory party chairwoman Caroline Spelman to explain the comments he made in a newspaper column.
He said: "I am very sorry that any remarks of mine have undermined the progress David Cameron has made on the issue of immigration, as on so many other issues."
A Conservative spokeswoman confirmed the party had accepted his resignation as the candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis.
Mr Hastilow said it was "with regret" that he had tendered his resignation but added the party would have his support for the future.
It is the second time Mr Hastilow, a former editor of the Birmingham Post, has courted controversy while a would-be MP. In 2001 he said the Tories under William Hague were seen as a "lost cause" with an unpopular leader.
In his column for the Express and Star newspaper in Wolverhampton - where Mr Powell was MP at the time of the 1968 speech - Mr Hastilow wrote: "When you ask most people in the Black Country what the single biggest problem facing the country is, most say immigration.
"Many insist: 'Enoch Powell was right'. Enoch, once MP for Wolverhampton South-West, was sacked from the Conservative front bench and marginalised politically for his 1968 'rivers of blood' speech, warning that uncontrolled immigration would change our country irrevocably. He was right. It has changed dramatically."
He also wrote: "They have more or less given up complaining about the way we roll out the red carpet for foreigners while leaving the locals to fend for themselves."
Cabinet minister Peter Hain said Mr Hastilow's comments had revealed the "racist underbelly" of the Tory party.

Tory candidate quits after race row | UK Latest | Guardian Unlimited

Isn't democracy nice, I especially love the free-speech feature...

[Exeter]

In these days there's so much political correctness in Britain. He only expressed his opinion. Political parties need to be popular.

[Berrocscir]

This is unbelievable! Given that after 40 years I'd bet about three quarters of indiginous english people would more or less agree with Powell, and the guy gets treated like this. It goes to show the modern Conservative Party has been shackled by PCism. The timing is hilarious too, seeing as last week Cameron was making a speech full of anti-immigrant rhetoric.