Although Mr Enoch Powell’s latest speech in Bradford shows no change from the position he adopted in his notorious Wolverhampton speech, it nevertheless shows a marked improvement in the tone used to debate Britain’s colour problems.
Now that Mr Powell has abandoned his reckless language and spurious statistics, it might be hoped that the two central questions raised by him can be debated calmly and sensibly: should not more be done to cut back the number of new immigrants?
Second, could the unfortunate concentration of coloured communities in a few areas of the country be altered more by voluntary repatriation than by a practical policy of dispersal?
The trouble is that neither Mr Powell nor any of his Tory colleagues have so far put forward any constructive ideas as to how their proposals for voluntary repatriation can be implemented. Perhaps they have no constructive ideas; if so, their bluff should be called.
Talking point
The government has decided to drop intended legislation to introduce a national minimum wage. After months of argument in her department, Mrs Barbara Castle, the Employment Secretary, has concluded it would be impractical and prohibitively expensive in the foreseeable future.
The cost of a minimum wage was estimated at £15 for a 40-hour week.
Quote of the week
“One cannot assess in terms of cash or exports and imports an imponderable thing like the turn of a lane or an inn or a church tower or a familiar skyline.”
John Betjeman on siting a new London airport at the Buckinghamshire village of Wing.
