This a great piece by Ferdinand Mount, warmly reviewing a book about Enoch Powell and also providing additional context relating to Brexit and Brexiters.
lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/…
lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/…
On how the people were being allegedly deceived by those "high-ups"....and how familiar this will sound to modern ears. 
On the effect of "that speech".....
On Powell's earlier plan to reconquer India and Churchill's understandable reaction.
Early indicators of Powell's racist "Rivers of Blood" impulse.....
Then, of course, his famous journey on the issue of Europe. And what he said as late as 1965.
Mount considers Powell's underlying driver: "wedded to the absolute, hostile to qualification, compromise or nuance". A kind of simplism, one might say.
Allied to paranoia, it sounds awfully familiar.
Allied to paranoia, it sounds awfully familiar.
There is also the very accurate observation that in Brexiter psychology, nationalism will, in the end, trump everything. Including a strong belief in 'free markets'.
On the importance and symbolism to Powell of hard borders.
There is a lot more in here that is well worth reading. If you need to specially register to get one free article, make it this one.
/ends
/ends
Of possible interest to @syrpis @sundersays @TheScepticIsle @EmporersNewC @Sime0nStylites @rosamundmtaylor @IanDunt
PS: Enoch Powell was unrepentant about "Rivers of Blood", as demonstrated by his appearance on Desert Island Discs in 1989 (listen from 22.40)
bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…
bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…
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