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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Tory candidate in immigration row | Tory candidate in immigration row |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Conservative candidate has been summoned to a meeting with the party chairman after declaring that Enoch Powell was "right" on immigration. | A Conservative candidate has been summoned to a meeting with the party chairman after declaring that Enoch Powell was "right" on immigration. |
| Nigel Hastilow, who will contest Halesowen and Rowley Regis, made the comments in a newspaper column. | Nigel Hastilow, who will contest Halesowen and Rowley Regis, made the comments in a newspaper column. |
| Mr Powell was sacked from the shadow cabinet after a controversial speech in 1968 against uncontrolled immigration. | Mr Powell was sacked from the shadow cabinet after a controversial speech in 1968 against uncontrolled immigration. |
| A Tory spokesman said candidates of all parties should take "great care" when discussing immigration. | A Tory spokesman said candidates of all parties should take "great care" when discussing immigration. |
| He added that Mr Hastilow "will be told this in clear terms" during the meeting with party chairman Caroline Spelman in London on Sunday. | He added that Mr Hastilow "will be told this in clear terms" during the meeting with party chairman Caroline Spelman in London on Sunday. |
| Comments defended | |
| But Mary Docker, chairwoman of Mr Hastilow's local Conservative association, said she did not think he had done anything wrong. | |
| She told BBC News 24: "He's basically just raising issues that have been raised with him when he has been canvassing the area. | |
| "All he is doing is just relaying the views of the public, which is what a politician should do." | |
| Mrs Docker said she did not think his comments should threaten his candidacy. | |
| 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 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. | The candidate wrote: "When you ask most people in the Black Country what the single biggest problem facing the country is, most say immigration. |
| This is the last thing David Cameron wanted Guto HarriBBC Political Correspondent | This is the last thing David Cameron wanted Guto HarriBBC Political Correspondent |
| "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. | "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." | "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." | 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." |
| BBC Political Correspondent Guto Harri said: "This is the last thing David Cameron wanted." | BBC Political Correspondent Guto Harri said: "This is the last thing David Cameron wanted." |
| He said "there is a debate to be had" on the issue, but the Conservative leader would not want his party to be associated with the tone used by the party's candidate in a key Midlands seat. | He said "there is a debate to be had" on the issue, but the Conservative leader would not want his party to be associated with the tone used by the party's candidate in a key Midlands seat. |
| Meanwhile, Labour has called for Mr Hastilow to be sacked over the "unacceptable" comments. | Meanwhile, Labour has called for Mr Hastilow to be sacked over the "unacceptable" comments. |