Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries

Britain's Racist Election (2015x18)

:

Britain’s Racist Election reveals what happened when a small British town gained national and international notoriety following the unprecedented culture collision between immigrants and the white community at the start of the era of mass immigration. When a maverick Conservative won the West Midlands seat of Smethwick in the 1964 General Election following what is seen as the most racist campaign ever conducted, it triggered one of the worst chapters in the history of British race relations. Violence, assassination attempts, and even the creation of a British Ku Klux took a small corner of England to the brink of official racial segregation. This in-depth history film combines first-hand accounts from residents with rare archive footage and new revelations about the creation of the most infamous campaign slogan in British history, to paint a shocking picture of a bigoted Britain; and it offers a timely warning of how fears about the effects of immigration together with an election campaign can quickly and violently spin out of control. In the years before the 1964 General Election, Smethwick had seen an influx of immigrants from across the Commonwealth causing community tensions. Local head teacher Peter Griffiths stood as Conservative candidate, running on an anti-immigration platform and the tensions quickly spilled over into violence and spawned the most infamous election slogan in history: “If you want a n****r for a neighbour, vote Labour”. Griffiths overturned the Labour majority at the election, but far from dying down, the tensions continued to rise. A British Ku Klux Klan was launched in nearby Birmingham and there were further racist attacks - including burning crosses and even an assassination attempt. Smethwick gained national and international notoriety following the council sanctioned plan to let homes on one street - Marshall Street – to white families only. US activist Malcolm X turned up in the town in February 1965 – 50 ye