A grandmother’s shop window display has been recorded by police as a ‘non-crime hate incident’ – because it features a picture of Enoch Powell.
The late Conservative MP’s portrait was positioned alongside a section of his 1968 speech known as the “rivers of blood” speech, where he cautioned that large-scale migration could result in violence erupting on the streets of Britain.
West Mercia Police launched an investigation into the image, saying it was reported to them as ‘offensive content’.
In addition to the portrait, shopkeeper Elizabeth Griffiths had displayed images of Winston Churchill, Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, and Donald Trump prominently in the window facing the street.
The speech derived its “rivers of blood” nickname from a reference to the Roman poet Virgil, with Mr. Powell famously declaring, ‘as I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood’.
It was condemned by the mainstream media at the time and effectively ended the then-55-year-old’s political career.
But some say Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ‘Island of Strangers’ speech earlier this month vindicated the late MP, who said more than 50 years ago that British people would find themselves ‘strangers in their own country’.
The portrait was placed next to an extract of the late Conservative MP’s famous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech and Ms Griffiths has since displayed it next to a photo of Keir Starmer to suggest Mr Powell had been vindicated
The trader, who runs Mumfords, an ironmonger in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire had displayed the image and accompanying text in February
The rivers of blood speech got its name from its allusion to the Roman poet Virgil where Mr Powell famously stated ‘as I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see the River foaming with much blood’
Ms Griffiths, a Reform UK activist and grandmother of 12 said she had showcased the images to ‘promote powerful leaders’.
The trader, who runs Mumfords, an ironmonger in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire placed the image of Mr Powell in her window in February.
Following the police investigation, which began last week after a member of public claimed the portrait was offensive, Ms Griffiths has since placed a photo of Mr Starmer in her window to suggest his recent speech proves Mr Powell was correct.
A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: ‘On 16 May, we received a report of offensive content displayed in a shop window on Church Street in Cleobury Mortimer.
‘This is being treated as a hate incident, and inquiries are ongoing.’
The spokesman later clarified it was being treated as a non-crime hate incident (NCHI).
Ms Griffiths claimed the report to police was a ‘vendetta’ because she had campaigned for Reform UK in the local elections earlier this month.
She added she had received ‘absolutely no police contact whatsoever’ about the alleged ‘hate incident’ and had not been spoken to by officers about it.
The Brexiteer told The Telegraph: ‘I am gobsmacked and baffled beyond belief. I did it to promote powerful leaders.
‘For some reason, three and a half months later, there is a decision to try and focus on just one picture.
‘I am not racist in any shape or form. Oh, good gracious no. I deal with Muslims every week. The Muslims I deal with are generally entrepreneurial. They are successful in business. They haven’t come across on boats.’
She concluded: ‘I’m used to being bullied for standing up for what I believe in.’
Mr Powell spoke German, French, Italian, Modern Greek, and Urdu.
A poll taken after his controversial speech reported 74 per cent of Britons agreed with his opinions on mass immigration.
But some public figures denounced it as ‘evil’, claiming the speech would stoke division and encourage generalisations.
Conservative politician Michael Heseltine stated in its aftermath that if Enoch Powell had stood for leadership of the Conservative party he would have won ‘by a landslide’ and if he had stood to be Prime Minister he would have won by a ‘national landslide’.
