Aspects of the New Commonwealth immigration question and its impacts : a study in policy making and elite politics, 1968-1981
This thesis offers an analysis of policy making on aspects of the New Commonwealth immigration issue in Britain between 1968 and 1981. It concerns three formally distinct but profoundly interlocking issues: immigration control itself, the development of race relations policy and the pursuit of nationality law reform. I argue that a populist critique of prevailing bipartisanship on the subject grew up around the notion that immigration policy, and the notion of multiracial Britain itself, was subject to a profound shortfall in political legitimacy. These arguments were introduced by Enoch Powell in 1968, but remained too controversially wedded to race issues to achieve purchase in the mainstream. A limited form of bipartisanship therefore survived this early assault, to be rephrased by Edward Heath as a managerial compromise that sought to accept stronger immigration controls (and, significantly, the reform of nationality law), justifiable in the national interest, and to remove the issues from the political sphere through strong administration and wide governmental discretion. This compromise was subsequently weakened by threats to the governing competence that underlay it in the form of problems in the control
Nolan, Mark Robert
History
Aspects of the New Commonwealth immigration question and its impacts : a study in policy making and elite politics, 1968-1981. This thesis offers an analysis of policy making on aspects of the New Commonwealth immigration issue in Britain between 1968 and 1981. It concerns three formally distinct but profoundly interlocking issues: immigration control itself, the development of race relations policy and the pursuit of nationality law reform. I argue that a populist critique of prevailing bipartisanship on the subject grew up around the notion that immigration policy, and the notion of multiracial Britain itself, was subject to a profound shortfall in political legitimacy. These arguments were introduced by Enoch Powell in 1968, but remained too controversially wedded to race issues to achieve purchase in the mainstream. A limited form of bipartisanship therefore survived this early assault, to be rephrased by Edward Heath as a managerial compromise that sought to accept stronger immigration controls (and, significantly, the reform of nationality law), justifiable in the national interest, and to remove the issues from the political sphere through strong administration and wide governmental discretion. This compromise was subsequently weakened by threats to the governing competence that underlay it in the form of problems in the control
aspects new commonwealth immigration question impact study policy make elite politics offer analysis policy make aspect new commonwealth immigration issue britain concern formally distinct profoundly interlock issue immigration_control development race relation policy pursuit nationality law reform argue populist critique prevail subject grow around notion immigration_policy notion multiracial britain subject profound shortfall political legitimacy argument introduce remain race issue achieve purchase mainstream limited form therefore survive early assault edward managerial compromise seek accept strong immigration_control significantly reform nationality law justifiable national interest remove issue political_sphere strong administration wide governmental compromise subsequently weaken threat govern competence underlay form problem control