Wind of Change (speech) - British Reactions and Attitudes at Home

British Reactions and Attitudes At Home

Most of the reaction following the speech can be seen as a direct response from conservatives within the British government at the time. Although Macmillan's speech can officially be seen as a declaration of a change in policy regarding British imperialism, prior government actions had already moved towards a slow process of decolonization in Africa. However, this gradual policy of relinquishing Federation-owned colonies was originally intended to only target areas within West Africa. Areas outside of this particular confinement, with British and European inhabitants, were not seen as threatened at first by the gradual decolonization initiated by the British government. As such, the aftermath of Macmillan's speech brought not only great surprise but a feeling of betrayal and distrust by British conservatives at the time. Lord Kilmuir, a member of Macmillan's cabinet at the time of the speech went on to regard that :

Few utterances in recent history have had more grievous consequences...in Kenya the settlers spoke bitterly of a betrayal, and the ministers of the Federation approached the British government with equal suspicion.

These feelings not only resounded with European settlers in the African colonies, but were shared by British conservatives who felt that Macmillan had misled British interests. This was illustrated through the speed and scale with which decolonization occurred. Following this speech therefore, the British government felt pressure from within due to economic and political interests surrounding the colonies. Lord Salisbury, another member of the conservative party at the time of this speech, felt that European settlers in Kenya, alongside the African populace would prefer to be under imperial rule regardless. Prior to the speech, Federation government had dismissed suggestions that African majority rule would be the best action in the colonies of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Because the copperbelt ran through Northern Rhodesia, British interests would not as easily give up certain colonies. This example can help to illustrate some of the feelings of resentment and betrayal felt by British conservatives following Macmillan's speech. Additionally, the fear that Britain would appear weak or unstable following a mass decolonization of territory was of great concern to many conservatives at the time of the speech. Although Macmillan argued in his oration that Britain's power had not faded, the economic effects if the empire was seen as weak would prove worrisome.

On the other hand, other British sentiment was concerned with whether the speech truly carried an authentic tone. Although in the speech Macmillan addressed British notions of apartheid, the fact that the address was officially made in South Africa left media outlets in Britain to question whether there would be any sort of immediate change in policy. Alongside the issue of apartheid, the process of decolonization as indicated by Macmillan greatly challenged sentiments of British imperialism and brought forth questions as for the legitimacy and responsibilities of colonial powers abroad. Many felt that countries like Ghana, which were among the first to be relinquished from British rule, were only decolonized so quickly due to a lack of economic assets or British settlers. These factors not only created a clash of ideals at home between conservative forces and those who wished to relinquish colonial power, but worked to complicate relations between Britain and other colonial powers.