Nigel Hastilow, the Conservative candidate for the constituency of Halesowen and Rowley Regis, is in hot water for stating that Enoch–rivers of blood–Powell was ‘right’ on immigration:

The Conservative hopeful made the comments in a column for the Express and Star newspaper in Wolverhampton - where Mr Powell had been the MP at the time of his 1968 speech.

The candidate wrote: “When you ask most people in the Black Country what the single biggest problem facing the country is, most say immigration.

“Many insist: ‘Enoch Powell was right’. Enoch, once MP for Wolverhampton South-West, was sacked from the Conservative front bench and marginalised politically for his 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speech, warning that uncontrolled immigration would change our country irrevocably.

“He was right. It has changed dramatically.”

Mr Hastilow also wrote: “They have more or less given up complaining about the way we roll out the red carpet for foreigners while leaving the locals to fend for themselves.”