Question

The ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech by MP Enoch Powell was considered a response to which act?
A) Commonwealth Immigration Act, 1962
B) Race Relations Act, 1968
C) Conservation Party Act, 1965
D) Racism Act, 1963

Answer 1

Hint: John Enoch Powell MBE, born in 16 June 1912 was a British politician, classical scholar, author, linguist, soldier, philologist, and poet. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament, then Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP, and also was the Minister of Health.

Complete answer:
Powell attracted widespread attention due to his 20 April 1968 address to the General Meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre, which became known as the "Rivers of Blood" speech.
The 'Rivers of Blood' speech by MP Enoch Powell was considered a response to the 1968 Race Relations Act. This Act made it illegal to refuse housing, employment, or public services to a person on the grounds of colour, race, ethnic or national origins.

In the repercussions of the "Rivers of Blood" discourse, a few surveys proposed that somewhere in the range of 67 and 82 percent of the UK populace concurred with Powell's sentiments. The ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech by MP Enoch Powell was considered a response to the Race Relations Act, 1968.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: The 'Rivers of Blood' speech by MP Enoch Powell scrutinized then-current paces of movement into the UK, particularly from the New Commonwealth, and went against the then-proposed hostile to separation enactment Race Relations Bill. Accordingly, Conservative Party pioneer Edward Heath fired Powell from his position as Shadow Defense Secretary in the Conservative resistance. The discourse was quickly considered by numerous individuals as a glaring showing of prejudice, drawing sharp analysis from his own gathering and from the press.