![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/paul_routledge.png\")
<\/p>\nThe Mirror’s political columnist Paul Routledge reveals how the fight against bigotry is nothing new and gives politicians a chilling warning to ‘look to their consciences before opening their mouths’<\/p>\n
21:14, 26 Aug 2025Updated 22:25, 26 Aug 2025<\/p>\n
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Political columnist Paul Routledge is a Fleet Street legend who joined the Mirror in 1998<\/p>\n
![\"Reform](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1_Reform-UK-press-conference.jpg\")
Nigel Farage launched Reform’s plan to deport asylum seekers today – but we’ve been here before(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
We’ve been here before. Even in modern times, there\u2019s a long history of Right-wing politicians playing the migrant card.<\/p>\n
And now we\u2019re seeing it again, with Nigel Farage riding to popularity<\/a> on the back of widespread \u2013 and understandable \u2013 concern over boat people.<\/p>\n In my lifetime, public feeling has ebbed and flowed over this issue. In the post-war period, migration wasn\u2019t a big deal. People from Commonwealth countries like India and the Caribbean had fought alongside our boys in WW2.<\/p>\n The Windrush Generation was welcomed to fill gaps in the UK labour market, particularly the NHS. But as numbers grew, so did resentment, resulting in racially-motivated violence in Notting Hill, the West Midlands, Nottingham and Middlesborough.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Nigel Farage’s ‘dangerous’ mass deportation plan torn to shreds – why it won’t work<\/a>READ MORE: Keir Starmer hits back against Nigel Farage and says illegal migrants face deportation<\/a> These were the days of \u201cno Irish, no blacks\u201d discrimination in housing, and in 1962 a Tory government passed the Commonwealth Immigration Act, which took away the automatic right to settle here.<\/p>\n Ill-feelings grew, culminating in the infamous Tory victory against the trend of Peter Griffiths in Smethwick, in the general election of 1964 on an openly racist ticket.<\/p>\n His supporters were found to have targeted white households with the slogan \u201cIf you want a n-word for a neighbour, vote Labour.\u201d I remember Griffiths flaunting his views to students at Nottingham University in the following year.<\/p>\n But Harold Wilson won, and sought to fight bigotry and cool racial tension with the Race Relations Act of 1965, making incitement of racial hatred an offence.<\/p>\n It failed to outlaw discrimination in housing and employment, so Labour followed it up with more wide-ranging legislation three years later.<\/p>\n Cue Right-wing Conservative MP Enoch Powell and his infamous \u201cRivers of Blood\u201d speech in Birmingham in April 1968, opposing the reform and, demanding voluntary repatriation of migrants. London dockers and Smithfield Market porters marched in support to Westminster, demonstrations I watched as a young reporter in Fleet Street.<\/p>\n Polls in the 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s showed most Brits backed his views, and while they officially condemned Powell, the Tories were happy to profit by his divisive politics, which undoubtedly help Ted Heath to pull off a surprise victory in the1970 election.<\/p>\n In following years, \u201cEnoch was Right\u201d became the favourite slogan of far-Right and outright racist groups, appearing on T-shirts, badges and placards. In 1990, shortly after resigning as premier, Margaret Thatcher was willing to praise his \u201cvalid argument.\u201d<\/p>\n The temptation to win votes with Powellism endured into the 21st century. In 2007, Nigel Hastilow, Tory candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, had to resign after proclaiming \u201cHe was right and immigration has changed the face of Britain dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n Nigel Farage, then UKIP leader, picked up the torch in January 2014 with a statement that \u201cthe principle is right.\u201d And a few months later, Norman Tebbit referenced Powell\u2019s warning, saying \u201cWe have imported far too many migrants.\u201d<\/p>\n Be the first with news from Mirror Politics<\/p>\n BLUESKY: <\/strong>Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here<\/a>. And follow our Mirror Politics team here – Lizzy Buchan<\/a>, Mikey Smith<\/a>, Kevin Maguire<\/a>, Sophie Huskisson<\/a>, Dave Burke<\/a> and Ashley Cowburn<\/a>.<\/p>\n POLITICS WHATSAPP: <\/strong>Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here.<\/a> We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n NEWSLETTER: <\/strong>Or sign up here to the Mirror’s Politics newsletter<\/a> for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756244298_834_1_Reform-UK-press-conference.jpg\")
The underlying message of divisiveness continues to poison public discourse(Image: PA)<\/p>\n![\"Reform](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1_Britain-Migration-Farage-25238414399020.jpg\")
Reform party leader Nigel Farage earlier today at Oxford Airport(Image: AP)![\"Mirror](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_pageA1-1.jpg\")
The Mirror’s Wednesday front page tackles Farage’s divisive plan<\/p>\n![\"Margaret](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_00279877JPG.jpg\")
Margaret Thatcher leaving Number 10 Downing Street for the last time (Image: Mirrorpix)<\/p>\n