Boris Johnson has written a biography of Churchill. But the argument he makes - that he tended to change his views with the times - is the opposite of the truth.
Its not well known that Churchill he was *much* more liberal on race and immigration in 1905 than he was in 1955.
Its not well known that Churchill he was *much* more liberal on race and immigration in 1905 than he was in 1955.
Churchill in 1904, strongly against the 1905 Aliens Act
"An appeal to insular prejudice against foreigners, to racial prejudice against Jews, and to Labour prejudice against competition; and it will no doubt supply a variety of rhetorical phrases for the approaching election"
"An appeal to insular prejudice against foreigners, to racial prejudice against Jews, and to Labour prejudice against competition; and it will no doubt supply a variety of rhetorical phrases for the approaching election"
Half a century later, PM Churchill, often rambling in Cabinet after his serious stroke, is proposing exactly what he spoke out against in 1905.
"Keep Britain White" would be a good election slogan, he tells an embarrassed Cabinet in 1955, 7 years after Windrush. (P.Hennessey)
"Keep Britain White" would be a good election slogan, he tells an embarrassed Cabinet in 1955, 7 years after Windrush. (P.Hennessey)
Mr Winston Churchill on the Aliens Bill
This rather fine edition of Churchill at his most liberal on race (in 1904) can be yours for just $1250! The web page gives a good account of the argument - and motive for this new New Liberal to attack the Tories!
churchillbookcollector.com/pages/books/00…
This rather fine edition of Churchill at his most liberal on race (in 1904) can be yours for just $1250! The web page gives a good account of the argument - and motive for this new New Liberal to attack the Tories!
churchillbookcollector.com/pages/books/00…
1955 appeal to overt racism is embarassing for the Cabinet. The Tory party has celebrated the 1948 Act's openness to Empire/Commonwealth. When controls are introduced, in 1962, the whole aim is to design something that will cut "coloured" immigration without saying its race-based
Maxwell-Fyfe in 1948 was "proud that we impose no colour bar restrictions" Rab Butler's Cabinet memo in 1962 explained policy could be presented as colour-blind but "was intended to and would in fact operate on coloured people almost exclusively"
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Clearly, political opportunism plays a part both in Churchill's liberal attack on racist electoral politics in 1904 (has recently joined Liberals from Tories) and in mooting a racist campaign in 1955.
Political motives for Global/Open & Tough messages are still a thing today!
Political motives for Global/Open & Tough messages are still a thing today!
Interesting that, in 1962, they clearly didn't have the concept of "institutional racism" (so a Cabinet memo could be explicit about the motive of policy to racially discriminate, covertly), yet also they clearly felt this would already be illegitimate as a public message.
So the prime minister does seems to me to rather "photoshop the past" here, rather than acknowledging the full complexity of this great, flawed and contradictory politician & (ultimately) statesman
