Enoch Powell as Prime Minister of Australia?

It is very important not to forget that most of Enoch Powell opinions were formed as a result of his experiences during the war and later on.

There are some clear contradictions in his views, but it must also not be forgotten that Enoch Powell as a very poor communicator to put it mildly. The rivers of blood speech is the best example of this, were he essentially managed to portray himself as a racist by quoting from a letter.

In order for him to become a successful Prime Minister anywhere, he needs to acquire better communication and networking skills. Different experiences during the war could do the trick here. Perhaps frontline service and a battle wound could be the catalyst that forces him to change his personnality to a more open one. If by the same token you could make him meet a wife earlier that would help too, since there is evidence that his marriage mellowed him somewhat.

Once his communication and networking issues are solved, his intellect could be turned into a very powerful weapon. Indeed, unlike most politicians he would come to power with a "plan" through which things could be changed. If his personality is mellower than OTL he will also be willing to compromise somewhat on this and to accept the input of others. Thence he could leave a mark which few politicians have left.

I would nevertheless expect the "harsher" side of his personnality to shine through again after some time in power. I can easily imagine his premiership being a good thing domestically, but a double edged sword on the international sphere since he could alienate some allies.
 
I'm neither an expert on the politics of Australia nor those of the U.K., but I sort of think that Australia is all-but tailor-made for a Powell ministry. Consider, for example, the economic insulation of the country and its former "White Australia" immigration policy. The real question for me then would be what party does Powell join?
 
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