Powell attracted widespread attention following his 20 April 1968 address to the General Meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre, which became known as the "Rivers of Blood" speech. It criticised then-current rates of immigration into the UK, especially from the New Commonwealth, and opposed the then-proposed anti-discrimination legislation Race Relations Bill. In response, Conservative Party leader Edward Heath sacked Powell from his position as Shadow Defence Secretary (1965–1968) in the Conservative opposition. The speech was immediately considered by many as a blatant demonstration of racism, drawing sharp criticism from his own party and from the press. While Powell did not consider himself a racist, "The Economist" claimed in an editorial on the 50th anniversary of the speech that his rhetoric had a "lasting and malign effect ... on the way in which race and migration are discussed, or not discussed".