1. How racist was British society between 1951 and 1964?
In this lesson, we will:
Explain why Commonwealth citizens immigrated to Britain after the Second World War.
Assess the impact this had on Britain between and 1964.
Starter: What two things do all four of these people have in common?
Challenge: Name each of them.

2. Why did immigration rise after the Second World War?
After the Second World War, Britain began its development as a multiracial society. This began in 1948 with the arrival of the S.S. Windrush carrying immigrants from Jamaica to Britain.
Most of the passengers on the ship were male, and ex-servicemen who had fought for Britian during the Second World War.
They were coming to Britain for one reason – to find work in a country that was rebuilding itself.
Under the law, they were considered British citizens. The Attlee government welcomed this as they were desperate for Caribbean workers to fill job vacancies in hospitals and transport.
Throughout the 1950s, Britain would welcome thousands of immigrants from Africa, the Carribean, India and Pakistan.

3. What opportunities were there in Britain?
British colonies provided a constant supply of cheap labour to meet staffing shortages in the NHS, and the number of women from the African Caribbean entering Britain to work in the NHS grew steadily. By the end of 1965, there were 3,000-5,000 Jamaican nurses working in British hospitals.
By 1960, 40% of all junior doctors in the NHS were from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka
In 1961, Lord Cohen of Birkenhead told the House of Lords: 'The Health Service would have collapsed if it had not been for the enormous influx from junior doctors from such countries as India and Pakistan'.
In 1963 the Conservative Health Minister, Enoch Powell launched a campaign to recruit trained doctors from overseas to fill the manpower shortages caused by NHS expansion. Some 18,000 of them were recruited from India and Pakistan.

4. Learning Task One What is the message of the cartoon?
Provide precise contextual knowledge and examples to support Lowe’s argument.

5. What was life like for immigrants in Britain?
Some areas of Liverpool, Birmingham and London became so full of immigrants that many original residents left.
By 1957, the White Defence League had been set up. It adopted many Nazi ideas and campaigned for a racially pure Britain.
Some Trade Unions argued that immigrants were taking jobs from whites.
Some politicians argued that immigrants were coming to Britain to claim benefits.
‘No coloured’ signs began to appear in boarding houses and factory gates.
However, the data suggests that any idea of Britain being ‘swamped’ by immigration was largely exaggerated.

6. Case Study: Notting Hill Riots
Tensions between white and Afro-Carribean immigrants turned violent in a series of riots in 1958.
Riots took place in London, Nottingham and Bristol.
All three cases began with gangs of young, white Teddy Boys harassing black residents who in turn reacted violently.
An example was in Notting hill, London between 29th August and 5th September.
A mob of 3600 white people began attacked houses of West Indian residents. In retaliation, many fought back.
Over 140 people were arrested during the two weeks of disturbances.
These riots showed that Britain was not as welcoming to immigrants as they had expected.

7. Learning Task Two What is the message of the cartoon?
Provide precise contextual knowledge and examples to support Lowe’s argument.
How has the tone changed from his last cartoon?

8. The positive consequences of the race riots
The sentencing of the nine white youths by Mr Justice Salmon, has been passed into judicial lore as an example of "exemplary sentencing" – a harsh punishment to act as a deterrent to others. Each of the youths received five years in prison and they were to also pay £500
Anti-racism demonstration were held in Trafalgar Square organised by the Movement for Colonial Freedom.
A "Caribbean Carnival", precursor of the Notting Hill Carnival was held on 30 January 1959 in St Pancras Town Hall, organised by activist Claudia Jones as a response to the riots and the state of race relations in Britain at the time.

9. The negative consequences of the race riots
Macmillan’s government set up an inquiry under Lord Salmon to examine the causes. It approached the riots as a law-and-order issue and did not focus on the racism faced by Windrush Communities.
His government passed the Commonwealth Immigrants Act (1962). This placed restrictions on immigration depending on their ethnic origin.
The Act permitted only those with government-issued employment vouchers to settle in Britain.
Leader of the Opposition, Hugh Gaitskell, called it “cruel and brutal anti-colour legislation”

10. Learning Task Three What is the message of the cartoon?
Provide precise contextual knowledge and examples to support Lowe’s argument.
How has the tone changed from his last cartoon?