Powell upsets constituency

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33455, 9 February 1974, Page 13

Powell upsets constituency

tA.Z.f A.-Keuter—copyright/ LONDON, February 8. Enoch Powell s shock decision not to stand at the February 28 election has rocked his south-west Wolverhampton constituency and raised Labour's hopes of \ ictory, the Press Association reported. I lie Conservative Right-winger's contemptuous reference i<> an "irresponsible’ and "fraudulent’’ election will not only damage Air I leath’s campaign, but has left his constituency in a turmoil. the Labour candidate, Airs Helene Middleweek, aged 21, admitted frankly last night: “I'm delighted he's standing down.”

Mr George Wilkes, the ( Tory Constituency Associa-i tion chairman, conceded:; "We have got just 10 days to find a new candidate of the: same calibre and it will be) extremely difficult.” Miss Middleweek spot-’ lighted the Conservatives’] problems when she said Mr Powell probably had a con-j siderable personal vote. 1 He won the seat with a 691 majority in 1950, and’ built this up to 14,467 in, 1970. To the public, Mr Powell is either Prince Charming or! the Demon King, but opinion! polls have sometimes named’ him as the politician who! best understands Britain’s) problems—and a better! leader than Mr Edward; Heath. Miss Middleweek pre-! dieted that Mr Powell’s)

action would split Wolver-j hampton Tories, and Tories!, nation-wide. “I think I’m in with a .chance even though his) majority was 14,000 in! 1 1970,” she said. I Mr Wilkes learned the (news in a letter delivered to I the Conservative office and jleft unopened for nearly an | hour. He said: “We had no i inkling at all that Mr Powell I was going to make this deicision. It has left us in ai (dilemma.” I Mr Powell had always had) (the party’s complete back-1 ! ing, and he was sure it) I would remain a safe Con-) jservative seat. I The Conservative agent,! ;Mr Robin Pollard, said:) “This is a tragedy. It was his (decision and his alone and) iwe have got to live with it.)

jit is as much a shock to us las it is to everyone else.” ! But the association’s president, Aiderman Peter (Farmer, described the move as “really inevitable.” He said: “More and more over the last few months it has been apparent there was an almost unbridgeable gap between what he was feeling and what the Government were feeling about important issues.” Mr Heath, often the target (for Mr Powell’s acid (criticism, may find some conisolation from the fact that in the Commons at least he I will no longer have to face {Mr Powell’s barbs. I Mr Powell, whose 1968 (speech calling for an end to (Commonwealth immigration (made him a household name {and added “Powellism” to. the language, has long been! a scathing tormentor of Mr Heath, even going as far as to question the mental state of the Prime Minister. Ironically, support for his stand came in an almost deserted House of Commons! last night from Labour M.P., Mr Arthur Lewis, who declared, “Good old Enoch.” Mr Lewis, speaking only to a junior minister and al deputy speaker, went on: “As far as I can see he has said I ;he is not going to be party! (to a crooked election. “He is not going to be a( {party to go into the election to smash the Miners’ strike. “I say good old Enoch. I am sure 1 will see him back here, probably after some byelection.”