An international press review of the Powell moment (1968-1973)

Abstract

A household name in British politics, Enoch Powell is but little known on the continent, which, in itself, probably underlines the need to internationalize research on him. In many key respects, the other comparisons found in international press articles undergird the ideological, style and rhetorical intricacies of Powell. The international mediatization of the civil rights movement in the US and of its \u201CWhite Backlash\u201D responses meant that a substantial number of readers of quality papers in Europe had already heard of Alabama governor and zealous promoter of racial segregation George Wallace before they heard of Powell. Many papers highlight the ambivalence in, rather than the paradox between, Powell's stances in the field of race relations and immigration and his views on foreign policy issues and what in the 21st century are called \u201Csocietal questions\u201D. The chapter investigates lay more stress on ethnic minority and immigrant militancy than on low-profile attitudes to life in Britain.