Political Developments: Britain's most Racist Election Flashcards
Where did the most racist election take place?
Smethwick
Who was the Conservative MP running for leadership of Smethwick?
Peter Griffiths
Where was Griffiths from?
He was from the Midlands and had a relatively poor upbringing
Who was the Labour MP trying to run to be the MP of Smethwick?
Patrick Walker
Where did Gordon Walker live?
In a garden suburb, so an affluent area
What was the focus of Griffiths campaign?
He attacked the worry of the working class voters in Smethwick of increasing immigration
What was Griffiths slogan like?
It was very blatant and racist, including very explicit words in it
Who won the Smethwick election?
Peter Griffiths, Conservative MP
How much did Labour in Smethwick lose on a swing of
Lost on a swing of 7.2% to Conservatives
What was the reaction from Harold Wilson?
Wilson demanded that Douglas-Home should disown Griffiths
Why did the Conservatives not disown Griffiths?
He had found a revolutionary new way to campaign to win over working class voters
What was this method which Conservatives would use later on?
They would attack other worries of working class voters to make them more inclined to vote for Labour
What are 2 later examples of other Conservative MP’S using this tactic?
Enoch Powell Rivers of Blood Speech, 1968
Margaret Thatcher, 1980
How was there evidence of a lack of social progress in the Labour Party with the Smethwick election?
The potential Labour Smethwick MP lived in an affluent area, far from the poor place which they would be out of touch in running
What did Malcolm X say about how Black individuals were being treated in Smethwick?
He said that it was similar to how Jews were treated under Hitler
