Enoch Powell was a racist prat whose "intellect" was wildly exaggerated. We've enough living racist prats to deal with and I see absolutely no reason to drag up a dead one and his dead man's words.
Let me caveat that by saying "yes discuss it and discuss it by all means - but is it really necessary for an actor to read the whole thing out?" It gives it status. It gives it a rank that it is not worthy of.
1970s Britain was by any measure a racist place. Racist by intent and racist through ignorance. Enoch Powell was viewed by many as an "intellectual" and racists need "intellectuals" to put an air of respectability on their bigotry.
The Rivers of Tiber stuff is that old trick used by Englishman of a certain type and background. They chuck in a couple of classical references to make their plate of bollocks seem more palatable. Jacob Rees-Mogg does much the same today.
A plate of bollocks is still a plate of bollocks - even with a sprig of parsley sitting atop it. #enochwaswrong
Anyway in the course of the afternoon and particularly having read the speech I've changed my mind about the BBC broadcasting it. I think in the right context and with the right debate either side of it - it will hammer nails into Enoch Powell's coffin and reputation.
*man changes mind on twitter*
