2 w. ago Shopkeeper is 'gobsmacked' after picture of Enoch Powell in her window is recorded by police as 'non

The portrait was placed next to an extract of the late Conservative MP's famous 1968 "rivers of blood" speech in which he warned mass migration would lead to violence on Britain's streets.

Events

2 w. ago Police investigate Enoch Powell portrait hung in village shop as ‘hate incident’

Exclusive: A Shropshire ironmonger hung the A4 display to show the need for ‘strong political leadership’

Events

3 w. ago A Labour lost in the weeds can’t rebuild this country. Starmer must regain his nerve | John Harris

Labour has good ideas and years left to change Britain. Why is it acting as if its time is almost up? Just under a week on from Keir Starmer’s latest pronouncements about immigration, plenty of people on his own side are still gripped by a queasy sense of fury and disappointment, and it shows no signs of fading away. His aides and allies will now try to gladden left-liberal hearts by emphasising gains from Monday’s UK-EU summit, and the prime minister’s remodelling of Brexit. But the acrid cloud hanging over Starmer will surely remain, and with good reason.Whatever the surrounding context – and whether or not he was consciously echoing Enoch Powell – his suggestion that Britain risked becoming an “island of strangers” still sounded like a horribly calculated provocation. The insistence that the government was set on closing “a squalid chapter for our politics, our economy, and our country” was even more brazen. So was the suggestion after years of “a one-nation experiment in open bo...

Politics

3 w. ago Nicola Sturgeon: Keir Starmer dumb for 'Enoch Powell' dogwhistle speech

The former First Minister said Starmer's comments were 'shameful'.

Politics

3 w. ago So ends the Keirbot’s immigration week: literally everyone hates it. Possibly even him | Marina Hyde

Several strongly worded X posts, a bungled Albanian scheme and the ghost of Enoch Powell. Once again, he’s smashed itOn Friday morning, Keir Starmer was posting without compromise. “If you’re one of the smugglers putting people in small boats across the channel,” ran the prime minister’s communique on X, “we’re coming after you.” Imagine the fear that would have struck into the hearts of all those people smugglers who follow his account.Alternatively, you could consider the above as a performance for the benefit of people other than those to whom it appears to be addressed – which would certainly make it of a piece with Starmer’s entire shtick for “immigration week”. Because that really has been quite a performance – and one the critics are already calling unconvincing, excruciating and wooden. On several occasions the prime minister was outperformed by his lectern.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago PMQs live: Starmer faces Badenoch after No10 denies immigration speech echoes Enoch Powell

Prime minister facing backlash from members of his own party after immigration speech

Politics

3 w. ago UK politics live: Starmer to face Badenoch at PMQs after No10 denies immigration speech echoes Enoch Powell

PM has faced backlash for the language he used in the speech setting out plans to crack down on legal migration

Politics

3 w. ago PMQs: Nigel Farage to grill Keir Starmer as No10 forced to deny 'island of strangers' echoes of Enoch Powell

The Prime Minister has been hit with a backlash including from London MPs for his controversial language

Politics

3 w. ago Backlash to Starmer’s immigration speech ‘overblown’ – minister

Sir Keir’s comments have been likened to Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘rivers of blood’ speech.

Politics

3 w. ago Farage to grill Starmer at PMQs as No10 forced to deny 'island of strangers' echoes of Enoch Powell

The Prime Minister has been hit with a backlash including from London MPs for his controversial language

Politics

3 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: Multiculturalism has done far more to fan racial tensions than Enoch Powell ever did

Who was Enoch Powell? With his evocative name again electrifying headlines, this basic question needs examining.

Events

3 w. ago No 10 defends Starmer’s language on immigration likened to Enoch Powell speech

Downing Street says it is wrong to compare PM’s warning about ‘island of strangers’ to 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speechDowning Street has robustly defended Keir Starmer’s language on immigration, which has been likened to that used by Enoch Powell, rejecting the direct comparison but saying the prime minister would not “shy away” from direct talk about the subject.A series of MPs criticised Starmer for his rhetoric when introducing a new policy paper on immigration on Monday, particularly his warning that the UK risked becoming “an island of strangers”, a near-direct echo of language used by Powell in his infamous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Why is Keir Starmer's speech being compared to Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech?

What are the similarities?

Events

3 w. ago Starmer rejects Enoch Powell parallel after ‘island of strangers’ speech

Labour critics express concern about ‘chasing the tail of the right’ after migration announcement

Politics

3 w. ago Starmer doubles down on ‘island of strangers’ immigration row amid growing Labour revolt

Downing Street has rejected comparisons to former rightwing Tory MP Enoch Powell and insisted the prime minister will ‘not shy away’ from the issue of immigration

Politics

3 w. ago Starmer ‘completely rejects’ claims he echoed Enoch Powell in migration speech

The Prime Minister warned the UK risked becoming an ‘island of strangers’ if migration controls were not tightened.

Politics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer doubles down on 'island of strangers' remark after Enoch Powell comparison

Keir Starmer's official spokesman said the PM rejects comparisons between his migration speech and Enoch Powell's notorious 'rivers of blood' speech after fierce criticism

Politics

3 w. ago Home secretary grilled over Starmer’s ‘island of strangers’ immigration remark

Yvette Cooper refused four times on Tuesday to repeat Sir Keir Starmer’s “island of strangers” warning about the risks of sky-high migration into the UK.

Society

3 w. ago Yvette Cooper hits back at comparisons between Starmer speech and Enoch Powell

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it was not right to make comparisons between Keir Starmer's remarks and Enoch Powell's racist 'river of blood speech' in an exchange with the BBC's Nick Robinson

Events

3 w. ago 'Britain is already an island of strangers': Tory Robert Jenrick echoes Keir Starmer's hardline migrant speech

The shadow justice minister also hit out at so-called 'white flight' in a series of interviews after Labour unveiled new plans to control immigration.

Events