Nottingham—Daniel Lawrence and Jonathan Silvey
Abstract
Colour and the 1966 General ElectionNottingham—Daniel Lawrence and Jonathan Silvey SAGE Publications, Inc.1966DOI: 10.1177/030639686600800103 Race relations in Nottingham present a curious paradox. In 1958 the city was the scene of violent racial disturbances, matched in recent years only by those in Notting Hill. Yet, barely six years later, the Jamaican Deputy High Commissioner in a visit to the area could say, 'I believe that Nottingham is one of the best examples of integration of its kind.'' 1 This change has been achieved in spite of Nottingham's very considerable housing shortage, and the racial antipathy which undoubtedly still exists. No politician has attempted to exploit colour prejudice, and no organized local opposition to coloured immigrants is evident. Understandably, some local people prefer to believe that no paradox exists. They maintain that the disturbances were grossly exaggerated by the press, and were, in any case, caused by young hooligans and not ordinary citizens. That the Press exaggerated the incidents might well be true-but that they were serious, violent and not the outcome of teddy-boy hooliganism seems undeniable. In an informative and sober appraisal of the disturbances, written immediately afterwards, James Wickenden stressed, 'There is no suggestion that teddy-boys provoked these