Enoch Powell on Political Inaction and the Prospect of Civil War

And what do you see as the likely prospect now?

Still the prospect of the Tiber foaming with blood?

The likely prospect is that politicians of all parties will say, "Well, Enoch Powell's right. We don't say that in public, but we know it in private. Enoch Powell's right, and it will no doubt develop as he says.

But it's better for us to do nothing now and let it happen perhaps after our time than to seize the many poisonous nettles which we would have to seize if we were at this stage going to attempt to avert the outcome.

So let it go on until a third of central London, a third of Birmingham and Wolverhampton are covered, until the civil war comes. Let it go on. We won't be blamed.

We'll either have gone, or we'll slip out from under somehow."