John Enoch Powell, MBE (/ˈdʒɒn ˈiːnɒk paʊl/; 16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, linguist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP, 1950–74), Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP (1974–87), and Minister of Health (1960–63). He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made a controversial speech on immigration, now widely referred to as the Rivers of Blood speech.