Conservative abandons Cameron’s pledge on immigration

1. David Cameron says people should use moderate and careful language when talking about immigration.

2. A Conservative candidate in a key marginal Westminster seat (Nigel Hastilow, Halesowen and Rowley Regis) says Enoch Powell was right to talk about “rivers of blood” (in the context of immigration).

3. A Conservative spokesman says said candidate will be told he must be careful in his useful of language.

4. Said candidate says it’s all ok, but he hasn’t said anything out of line with party policy.

As Nich Starling points out, there is a bit of a pattern here when it comes to the Conservatives and immigration.

UPDATE: Nigel Hastilow has now resigned, though not with much grace: “If I had said sorry I could have stayed on, but I am not sorry.”