Sir Winston Churchill and his cabinet colleagues, concerned at the number of "coloured people" they thought were moving to Britain to take advantage of the welfare state, considered introducing immigration controls more than 50 years ago, according to records released from the National Archives.
In hand-written notebooks, the cabinet secretary, Sir Norman Brook, noted that the then home secretary thought there was a good case for excluding "riff-raff".
Brook stated that controls were discussed at a cabinet meeting on February 3rd 1954, six years after the ship the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury with 492 immigrants from Jamaica.
Churchill commented: "Would like also to study possibility of 'quota' - [number] not to be exceeded."
The prime minister began the discussion, saying: "Problems will arise if many coloured people settle here. Are we to saddle ourselves with colour problems in UK? Attracted by Welfare State. Public opinion in UK won't tolerate it once it gets beyond certain limits."
Florence Horsbrugh, the minister of education, added that the problem was becoming "serious" in Manchester. David Maxwell-Fyfe, the home secretary, reported that the total of "coloured people" in Britain had risen from 7,000 before the second world war to 40,000 at the time of writing, with 3,666 of those unemployed, and 1,870 on national assistance, or benefits.
He referred to those "living on immoral earnings". Of 62 people convicted the previous year in the Metropolitan police area, 24 were "coloured". He added: "All administive measures to discourage have been taken and further steps would be immigration control over administration of [British subjects] to the UK. We would. have to admit in Parliament that the purpose of legislation was to control [admission] of coloureds. There is a case on merits for excluding riff-raff. But politically it would be represented & discussed on basis of a colour limitation. That would offend the floating vote,the old Liberals. We should be reversing age-long tradition that British [subjects] have right of entry to mother-country of Empire.This would offend Liberals, also sentimentalists."
But fearing public feeling, he said the risk of introducing controls should not be taken "today". He warned: "The colonial populations" are resented in Liverpool, Paddington & other areas by those who come into contact with them. But those who don't are apt to take a Liberal view."

Wow now that is a turn up for the books isn't it........
Blatant RACISM by one of this country's most respected leaders.

But I guess that is the Conservative way of thinking,what an absolute disgrace........!

Stickied for future reference..........

Archives expose Churchill's true thoughts on immigrants | Politics | The Guardian