Britain’s Racist Election is a 2015 documentary that tells a
forgotten story in British politics: the 1964 Smethwick general election.
Traditionally a safe Labour seat, the West Midlands’ constituency experienced
an unexpected Conservative Party victory – a reverse alignment with the
national trend that witnessed Labour’s first victory in 13 years. The
documentary sheds light on how the Conservative candidate high-jacked the
election by resorting to racism as his main campaign tool.
Background:
In the Heart of Black Country[1],
the working-class community of Smethwick attracted immigrants from Commonwealth
countries, especially after World War II. With one of the highest immigrant
populations in the country (around 5000), the people of Smethwick reacted
negatively as fears of losing jobs loomed amid factory closures. This set in
motion a major transition that led to tribal and territorial manifestations,
including immigrants being referred to as “blackies” & “wogs”, in addition
to bans from public places on racial grounds.
A Contentious Anti-immigrant Campaign Pays off!
The racially hostile atmosphere in Smethwick was fertile ground
for conservative candidate, Peter Griffiths. An admirer of South Africa’s
apartheid policies, Griffiths launched a campaign in favor of strict immigration
policies. Exploiting anxiety over a housing shortage, Griffith campaigned on
the slogan inadvertently made up by his campaign manager’s young daughter “If
you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote labour.” According to the Tory
candidate, the slogan was "a manifestation of popular feeling, [adding
that he] would not condemn anyone who said that." Griffiths would defeat
labour candidate Patrick Gordon Walker by over 1700 votes (5%).
A Surprise Visit that Captured Little Media Attention:
The situation
deteriorated after the election as the Conservative-led local council condoned
racial segregation. A group of white residents successfully petitioned the
council to set in place official housing allocation policies. Through these,
the council would purchase houses and rent them to white British residents
only. Luckily, then-Housing Minister, Richard Crossman, refused to allow the
council to borrow the necessary funds for the implementation of the policy.
In what was described as a “rumpus” by British press, political activist
Malcolm X paid a visit to Marshall Street, one of the iconic streets that would
have been subjected to the policies. Nine days later, Malcolm X would be shot
dead in New York in an event unrelated to his act of solidarity in Smethwick.
Image of Malcolm X’s little-known visit
to Marshall Street on 12 February 1965
Calls for a Snap Election: Labour Reclaims its Seat
The racial segregation reached its boiling point when a British
branch of the Ku Klux Klan was formed in Birmingham, running terror in nearby
Smethwick. Racially-motivated fighting increased as Griffiths home was bombed.
The events would prompt the government to call a snap election in 1966, which
Griffiths would lose to actor and Labour candidate Andrew Faulds. The latter
would succeed in bridging the racial divide in the constituency[2],
which he would represent until his retirement in 1997.
Legacy
The 1964 Smethwick
general election is long forgotten, as are the shameful campaign slogans and
racial slurs (blackies and wogs) that were associated to it. Today, Smethwick
is one of the most multi-cultural cities in England, hosting people of
various ethnicities and religions. The town has remained faithful to its working-class
community structure where, in many areas, there are more foreigners than there
are citizens of British or even European descent. Seen from this lens,
Smethwick should be remembered as a success story – one in which universal
human values prevail over hawkish fascist tendencies, including the Birmingham
branch of the British Ku Klux Klan.
Please shoot me a comment if you watch the documentary or agree/disagree with the content of this article!
Please shoot me a comment if you watch the documentary or agree/disagree with the content of this article!
