Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has labelled the Conservatives "two-faced" after one of their MEPs cited Enoch Powell as his political influence.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has criticised a Tory MEP for citing Enoch Powell as a political influence.
In a US interview, Tory MEP Daniel Hannan said 1960's anti-immigration campaigner Mr Powell understood "the importance of national democracy".
Daniel Hannan told a website the 1960's anti-immigration campaigner understood "the importance of national democracy".
The Tories said Mr Hannan had not praised Mr Powell's immigration views.
The Conservatives said he had not been talking about Mr Powell's views on immigration but Lord Mandelson said it showed the "two faces" of the party.
But Lord Mandelson said they had a public face, and another which "attacks the NHS and praises Enoch Powell".
Mr Hannan later told the BBC he was a "libertarian" on immigration but had agreed with Mr Powell over Europe.
Asked in an interview with a US internet television channel who was his political influence, Mr Hannan said Enoch Powell "understood why you need to live in an independent country and what that meant, as well as being a free marketeer and a small-government Conservative."
The MEP caused controversy two weeks ago when he described the NHS as a "60 year mistake" on US television - prompting Tory leader David Cameron to say his party stood "four square behind the NHS" and saying of Mr Hannan: "He does have some quite eccentric views about some things."
Mr Hannan recently provoked controversy by describing the NHS as a "mistake".
'Rivers of Blood'
'Rivers of Blood'
Labour seized on Mr Hannan's comments and urged Conservative leader David Cameron to take action.
He also became a hit on the video sharing site YouTube, with a three minute speech in the European Parliament attacking Gordon Brown as the "devalued" leader of a "devalued" government.
Lord Mandelson said: "Yet again, we are seeing the two faces of the Conservative party: the one they want to present to the public and the one which attacks the NHS and praises Enoch Powell."
In an interview with US internet television channel Reason TV, he cited Mr Powell as a political influence, saying: "He was somebody who understood the importance of national democracy, who understood why you need to live in an independent country and what that meant, as well as being a free marketeer and a small-government Conservative."
Is it acceptable for the modern Conservative Party to attack the NHS and praise Enoch Powell? Labour MP Parmjit Dhanda
Mr Powell was sacked from the shadow cabinet by Ted Heath in 1968 for his "Rivers of Blood" speech about the dangers of mass immigration.
Mr Powell became infamous after a speech he made in 1968 while serving as a Conservative MP.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: "Yet again, we are seeing the two faces of the Conservative party: the one they want to present to the public and the one which attacks the NHS and praises Enoch Powell."
His "Rivers of Blood" speech gave apocalyptic predictions of what would happen to pockets of Britain if mass immigration continued.
And Labour MP Parmjit Dhanda urged Mr Cameron to rebuke Mr Hannan - pointing to former Conservative parliamentary candidate Nigel Hastilow, who wrote in a newspaper article that Enoch Powell was "right" on immigration and later resigned after criticism from senior Tories.
He compared racial tensions in the United States to the Roman poet Virgil's description of "the River Tiber foaming with much blood" and said anti-discrimination laws were like "throwing a match on to gunpowder".
Responding to Mr Hannan's latest remarks, Labour MP Parmjit Dhanda said: "Last week Daniel Hannan attacked the NHS. Now he's talking up Enoch Powell as a key influence for Cameron's Conservatives.
"When another Tory candidate praised Enoch Powell in 2007, David Cameron criticised him and he was forced to resign.
As an MP Enoch Powell represented Wolverhampton South West
"The question now for Cameron is whether he will take similar action against Daniel Hannan.
"Or is it acceptable for the modern Conservative Party to attack the NHS and praise Enoch Powell?"
Conservative sources said Mr Hannan would not be disciplined because his praise for Mr Powell had not referred to the late politician's stance on immigration.
Conservative sources said Mr Hannan would not be disciplined because his praise for Mr Powell had not referred to the late politician's stance on immigration.
Mr Hannan was described as "pro-immigration".
Last week, in another US interview, Mr Hannan called the NHS a "60-year mistake" that he "wouldn't wish on anyone".
He claimed it was an overly-bureaucratic hangover of wartime planning which rations care which should be broken up and replaced by a mix of private and state-run provision.
Mr Hannan's remarks were made amid the fierce debate in the US over President Barack Obama's proposed healthcare reforms.
At the time Mr Cameron dismissed Mr Hannan's views on the NHS as "eccentric".
