Powell did invite around 18000 commonwealth doctors to work in the NHS, but the “shortage” was the result of government incompetence: number of doctors trained was entirely centrally controlled and 25% of newly trained doctors left each year due to bad pay and limited prospects.

The textiles industry in Britain was rendered uncompetitive by lower wages internationally, the government allowing the importation of foreign sweat labour to keep it going another decade or so was simply part of the wider policy of economic protectionism for the north.

Calling this a “labour shortage” is a bit like calling the Iliad a book about the consequences of failed regulatory compliance.

Oh yes, while we're at it, the recruitment of Caribbeans to work in various transport and ancillary hospital roles was done entirely at the behest of their own governments to help with civil unrest due to unemployment. It was to help them, not us.