Ex-West Brom player, and member of the famous ‘Three Degrees’, Brendon Batson, will address a special event to mark the 50th anniversary of Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech at the Midland Hotel in Birmingham. The event will be held in the same hotel that Enoch Powell used for his speech in 1968. Bringing together a wide spectrum of West Midlands society, the event will be showcasing how the diverse communities of the midlands reject Powell’s vision of ‘rivers of blood’ and instead have turned to ‘rivers of love’.
Eleanor Smith, the BAME female MP, who now holds Enoch Powell’s old Wolverhampton seat will give a key note address, outlining how Birmingham, and the West Midlands, has rejected Powell’s vision and embraced tolerance and diversity.
Also addressing the event will be Birmingham City Council leader, Ian Ward, Shabana Mahmood MP and Preet Gill MP. Roger McKenzie, UNISON’s Assistant General Secretary and originally from the West Midlands will also make a speech.
Either side of comments from the key note speakers there will be contributions from representatives of the many differing communities across Birmingham, including a poem from the present Birmingham Poet Laurette Matt Windle.
TUC Midlands, Regional Secretary, Lee Barron, said: “It’s clear that Enoch Powell lost. We mark the 50th anniversary of his infamous speech in celebration and appreciation of the wonderful diversity of our region. Powell’s vision of ‘rivers of blood’ has clearly been rejected as our communities have instead embraced a vision of ‘rivers of love’ in creating a vibrant, tolerant and open society that is welcoming to all people.”
Brian O’Sullivan, Birmingham SUTR said: “Powell spoke of immigration as an evil and used his speech to try and whip up racial hatred. But here we are in 2018 and people from different communities and religions work and live together and we will not let racism divide us’.
