Talk:Peter Griffiths

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Campaign slogan[edit]

I've removed the following section:

'In criticism of both government and opposition immigration policy[citation needed], Griffiths ran an anti-immigration campaign, benefiting from the infamous slogan "If you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote Labour".[2] It is a common misconception[citation needed] that this was Griffith's campaign slogan. In fact, although posters with the racist slogan were erected around the area, no evidence exists that his party was responsible for them[citation needed].'

1) because of the lack of sources backing up a controversial claim; 2) because the paragraph's only source actually does state that Griffiths used the slogan himself (!); and 3) because so do numerous other sources:

I've changed it to: 'The Conservative's ran an anti-immigration campaign under the infamous slogan "If you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote Labour".'

This claim is supported by:

Race and politics: Ethnic minorities and the British political system (Anwar, M. 1986) p. 18

Encyclopaedia of contemporary British culture (Childs, P., Storry, M. 1999. London: Routledge) p. 13

The politics of migration and immigration in Europe (Geddes, A. 2003.) p. 34 (see below)

Understanding Stuart Hall (Davis, H. 2004)

The Labour governments 1964-1970 (Peter Dorey ed, 2006.) p. 319

(among others)

Lost in space (talk) 18:03, 15 July 2013 (UTC)[reply]

One of the two references (Geddes) you've supplied to support this claim does NOT say that the Conservatives ran a campaign under the infamous slogan "If you want...etc." On page 34 It says quite clearly that the slogan was used by supporters of the Conservative candidate. I'm unable to check the other reference (Childs) as I don't have the book and unlike Geddes the detail isn't listed in Google books.

This is an important edit on a highly controversial subject and I've no doubt you've made it in good faith. However, with one reference completely negating what you posted, can you please put up the exact text and the page numbers from the other references you've listed in your post above. Many thanks David T Tokyo (talk) 13:33, 29 July 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Hi David, thanks for that (and the 'good faith') - you're right about Geddes. It says Griffiths' supporters used the slogan. This quote is not enough to show whether this slogan was sanctioned by the party or by Griffiths. However:

Anwar (1986) states: "At the time of the 1964 general election in Smethwick, Peter Griffiths, the Conservative party candidate, supported slogans like 'If you want a nigger neighbour..." (p. 18). If we accept this source, Griffiths at least supported the slogan (although the exact wording of the slogan is not clear) (Anwar was head of research at the Commission for Racial Equality).

Childs & Storry (1999) is available as a PDF. This is what it says "Two years after the 1962 Act there came the next turning point when Peter Griffiths, Tory candidate for Smethwick, defeated a Labour minister with the slogan ‘If you want a nigger for a neighbour vote Labour’. Racism was thus legitimated as the basis of an electoral appeal by the candidate of a major political party." (p. 34). They certainly argue that it was his slogan (Childs and Storry are both professors at Gloucestershire University)

Davis (2004) is available via Google books, and directly states that "Griffiths ran his campaign under the banner, If you want a..." (p. 34) (senior lecturer University of Sunderland).

Dorey (2006) doesn't use the quote itself but clearly connects Griffiths to racist ideas (professor at Cardiff University).

Solanke (2009) in "Making anti-racial discrimination law" states that the quote "came to be associated with his electoral campaign" (p. 56) and not how or by whom (senior lecturer Leeds University).

The BBC state here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/482565.stm that it was actually the (Smethwick) conservative party's election slogan for 1964.

Lost in space (talk) 10:23, 10 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Untitled[edit]

There is no doubt that Gordon Walker's supporters also exploited residents' fears in blaming local racial tensions on Conservative Party policy. Removed this because due to lack of a reference its validity is questionable.

There is a quote in Patrick Gordon Walker article that comes from here [1]. I admit that "no doubt" is probably too strong but will this do for a toned down reinstatement of the remark? Cutler 10:40, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is another Peter Griffiths, a murderer executed in 1948. Heres a link to an article [2]. Just thought it should be known. Bored461 15:13, 14 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"VIEWS"[edit]

The section called "Views" is ambiguous. WHOSE views? Griffiths' (in 1964)? No. It appears to be the views of journalists now - all of whom seem to be taking subjective views. If the paragraph is retained, it does at least need some change to the ambiguous heading. Remember: he did go on to be an MP in Portsmouth for many years and this entry on "Peter Griffiths" should reflect the whole life and not merely a period of about two years in the mid-sixties. Incidentally, the recent television documentary made mention of Griffiths' Smethwick home being "firebombed" in 1964. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.83.36.220 (talk) 12:26, 10 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]