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Uganda's loss, Britain's gain |
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Political storm
The establishing of the temporary accommodation at Stradishall camp was controversial from the start.
It rang alarm bells with some in Britain, as there were fears that these barracks would become permanent settlements resulting in an adverse effect on local employment. Eldon Griffiths, MP for Bury St Edmunds insisted that it would only be used as a short term reception area, and he felt the homes would not be suitable nor would they have facilities for use as a permanent site. "There is no question of Suffolk being flooded with newcomers, we haven't the room," he claimed.
In April 1968, 
The vast open spaces of Uganda were a source of recreation |
Enoch Powell had delivered a speech at the annual meeting of the West Midlands Conservative Centre that divided the country. He said that Britain must be mad to allow the inflow of some 50,000 dependents of immigrants every year. He said: "Like the Roman, I see the River Tiber foaming with much blood." This caused a storm in the country in 1968, and in 1972, Powell feared expulsions of a similar nature to those in Uganda would occur in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
Edward Heath was concerned that Powell was about to resurrect bitter racial divisions, so he quickly introduced legislation, the new Immigration Act. This act revoked the British status for these country's Indian communities. The aim of this act was to halt any re-occurrence and pour oil on political waters, especially in the light of Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech, in April 1968.
The government opted to distance itself from reception and resettlement activities by establishing an intermediary organisation, the Uganda Resettlement Board (URB). It was charged with responsibility to find jobs and homes for the Asians which it succeeded in doing.
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