Aneurin Bevan - Spartacus Educational In addition, he is known for his wider contribution to the founding of the British welfare state. Bevan shared a liberal ideology and was additionally a supporter of the Liberal party that had a change of ideology to socialism after reading Robert Blatchfords in the Clarion. In 1959, he was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and held the post for a year until his death from stomach cancer at the age of 62. [10] The Query club started in 1920 or 1921 and they met in Tredegar. The Aneurin Bevan, former Cross Inn, September 2018, This is a photo of the listed building number. [6] He worked at the butcher's for several months before leaving school, instead working in the local Ty-Trist Colliery. FIGHT FOR OUR NHS free at the point of need for all. "[55] At the beginning of the 1945 general election campaign, Bevan told his audience that his goal was to eliminate any opposition to the Labour programme: "We have been the dreamers, we have been the sufferers, now we are the builders. The National Health Service was launched in 1948, and Bevan is quoted as saying, No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of a lack of means. Inspired by the Tredegar Medical Aid Society in his hometown in South Wales, Bevan led the campaign for a National Health Service to provide medical care free at point-of-need across the UK, regardless of wealth. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. There was a particularly large increase in marginal tax rates for wealthy business owners. With the support of the Miners' Federation, the case was judged as one of victimisation and the company was forced to re-employ him. Aneurin Bevan | Founder of the National Health Service [111], Bevan dismayed many of his supporters when he suddenly reversed his opposition to nuclear weapons. Two of the key elements of Bevan's proposals were this nationalisation of the hospital services and the abolition of the sale and purchase of goodwill by general practitioners. Get out! [22] Although described in The Times as "an outstanding back-bench critic" and "one of (Labour's) most brilliant members in debate", his appointment was regarded as a relative surprise, given his previous disciplinary issues. They would collect money weekly for any member who needed it. But the lowest paid a tax rate of 1%, up from 0.2% in 1938, the middle income brackets paid 14% to 26%, up from 10% to 18% in 1938, the higher earners paid 42%, up from 29%, and the top earners 77%, up from 58% in 1938. multi-national defence organisation in Asia and the Pacific, subsequent Anglo-French military response, Political history of the United Kingdom (1945present), "Aneurin Bevan, stormy petrel of the Labour left", "Dying father inspired Nye Bevan's NHS dream", "Britain's near-brush with Fascism: The politician who rooted for Hitler", "Play tells the inspiring story of political couple Aneurin Bevan and Jennie Lee", "How Jennie Lee helped Aneurin Bevan shape political change", "70 years of the NHS: How Aneurin Bevan created our beloved health service", "Let Us Face the Future: A Declaration of Labour Policy for the Consideration of the Nation", "NHS 70: Aneurin Bevan Day celebrations in Tredegar", "Housing owned by the people for the people Nye would have approved", "Bevan's speech to the Manchester Labour rally", "Major John Freeman: Soldier who became an MP, diplomat and broadcaster best known for his series of interviews, Face to Face", "In Place of Fear A Free Health Service 1952", "Mr. Bevan and Others Awarded 2,500 Each", "Did you know NHS founder Aneurin Bevan lived in Bucks? Bevan's past association with Mosley would be used against him in subsequent years by his political rivals. Aneurin Bevan and the setting up of the NHS - BBC Bitesize Aneurin Bevan, byname Nye Bevan, (born November 15, 1897, Tredegar, Monmouthshire [now in Blaenau Gwent], Walesdied July 6, 1960, Chesham, Buckinghamshire), controversial figure in post-World War II British politics and one of the finest orators of the time. Photo by No Swan So Fine Wikimedia Commons. Did the Wars of the Roses End at the Battle of Tewkesbury? Lesser-known, perhaps, is Bevans own personal background. To achieve mastery as a speaker, he had first to overcome a speech impediment. With his posture, the manager of the colliery found reasons to lay him off but with support from the Miners Federation, he was re-employed by the company as his case was seen as victimization. [115] Crossman later acknowledged that they had perjured themselves to do so.[116]. The same year, Labour were defeated in the General Election. 105 Facts About Aneurin Bevan | FactSnippet He had then joined the board of the socialist newspaper, the Tribune in 1936. On the day, Bevan attended a ceremony at the Park Hospital, Trafford (now Trafford General), at which he symbolically received the keys to the hospital. Born in a modest family, Bevan's exposure to poverty and deprivation gave him a first-hand experience of unfortunate condition of . Nye gave us the greatest Socalist model ever seen in 1948. [69][70] The removal of the criteria of "working class" from local authority housing provision was seen as a first step, widening access to the council housing that was becoming an ever larger part of the UK housing stock and which made up a majority of new homes built after the war. [1][3], The couple had ten children altogethersix boys and four girlsalthough four died in infancy and one died at the age of eight. At a dinner in late 1955 or early 1956 to celebrate the publication of the Guillebaud Report into NHS costs Bevan remarked to Julian Tudor Hart "ultimately I had to stuff their mouths with gold" about his handling of the consultants. Bevan was the sort of principled politician we seem to lack these days. [112] Speaking at the 1957 Labour Party conference, he decried unilateral nuclear disarmament, saying "It would send a British Foreign Secretary naked into the conference-chamber". BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [110] He was a vocal critic of the Conservative government's actions in the Suez Crisis, noticeably delivering high-profile speeches at a protest rally in Trafalgar Square on 4 November 1956, and criticising the government's actions and arguments in the Commons on 5 December 1956. On his return to South Wales he struggled to find work, remaining unemployed for nearly three years before gaining employment as a union official, which led to him becoming a leading figure in the 1926 general strike. He was called up for service during the First World War, and was briefly arrested when his sister Blodwen burnt his conscription papers and he failed to report for duty. His influence waned after his departure, although a left-wing group (not under his control) within the party became known as "Bevanites". A poll in 2013 conducted on behalf of British Future found that the NHS was more popular then than at its creation, and was more popular than the monarchy, BBC and British Armed Forces. Aneurin's mother was also from Tredegar, but had English roots: her grandfather was from Hereford. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [82] It was later claimed that his words had cost Labour more than two million votes. Although the Italians were never sure the British delegation were sober, they always attributed to them an immense political acumen. Corrections? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. His creation of the National Health Service in 1948 remains Labour's most enduring legacy to the people of the United Kingdom.During the war years he was virtually a one-man opposition to Churchill and had . He was no calculating machine. Photo by Howard Coster - Wikimedia Commons, Portrait of Aneurin Bevan. In 1928, Bevan won a seat on Monmouthshire County Council in the Tredegar Central Division. [40] When the government introduced voluntary national service in December 1938, Bevan argued that Labour should demand the nationalisation of the armaments industry, support the democratic government of Spain and sign an Anglo-Soviet pact in return for its support. He grew up steeped in the traditions of Welsh miners radicalism; self-help organizations, trade unionism, religious dissent, and socialism. Though described as an outstanding back-bench critic and an excellent debater, Bevan had long clashed with Attlee, even before being in his cabinet, because he thought he hadnt held the Tory party to account properly throughout World War Two. [102], In March 1955, when Britain was preparing for Operation Grapple, the testing of its first hydrogen bomb, Bevan led a revolt of 57 Labour MPs and abstained on a key vote. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Aneurin Bevan [59] Bevan had clashed frequently with Attlee during his time as an MP, believing that the Labour leader failed to apply enough pressure on the Tory government during the war. A member of the Tredegar branch of the South Wales Miners Federation, Bevan was the head of his local Miners Lodge at just 19 years of age. [26] In January 1931, Bevan wrote a letter to the government on behalf of the Mosley group, raising concerns over its "failure to deal with unemployment". Bevan left school at 13 and began working in a local colliery. [19] With his success in 1928, he was picked as the Labour Party candidate for Ebbw Vale (displacing the sitting MP Evan Davies),[20] and easily held the seat at the 1929 General Election. [16][17] In 1926 he found work as a paid union official. Bevan also failed in a bid to become deputy leader, losing out to Jim Griffiths. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. "[49], Dunbar had been recommended for a commission, but rejected it himself to remain with his unit. [102] In July of the same year, Bevan announced his intention to stand for election as the Treasurer of the Labour Party against Hugh Gaitskell. He published the bookIn Place of Fear in 1952, which became the most read socialist book at the time. As exposure to the atmosphere reduces all mummies to instant dissolution, so war passes supreme judgment upon social systems that have outlived their vitality. He developed a severe stammer as a child and, according to his younger sister Myfanwy, became "a lonely chap", due to the need to shy away from the attention it brought him.[5]. 9 Necessary Facts about the NHS - Fact City Attlee and Labour were ousted from power in a snap election held six months after Bevan's resignation, but Attlee continued on as Labour Party Leader. A blue plaque was erected in 2015 by English Heritage at 23 Cliveden Place, Chelsea, London SW1W 8HD, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. [18], In 1928, Bevan won a seat on Monmouthshire County Council in the Tredegar Central Division. He joined the Labour Party and attended Central Labour College in London. "[62] Government income was increased for the welfare state expenditure by a large increase in marginal tax rates for wealthy business owners in particular, as part of what the Labour government largely saw as the redistribution of the wealth created by the working-class from the owners of large-scale industry to the workers. [12] Churchill would later label Bevan "a squalid nuisance". This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aneurin-Bevan, British Broadcasting Corporation - Biography of Aneurin Bevan, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Aneurin Bevan. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. He was the son of coal miner David Bevan and Phoebe (ne Prothero), a seamstress. [12] Bevan resigned from his position two weeks later, stating both the proposed changes and the increase in military expenditure that necessitated the need for such proposals. Inspired by the Tredger Medical Aid Society of South Wales, Bevan initiated the National Health Service (NHS), which was managed with public funds and aimed to provide free medical . This statement is often misconstrued: Bevan argued that unilateralism would result in Britain's loss of allies, and one interpretation of his metaphor is that nakedness would come from the lack of allies, not the lack of weapons. Aneurin Bevan Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline Photo by Howard Coster Wikimedia Commons. Bevan was largely responsible for the distribution of strike pay in Tredegar and the formation of the Council of Action, an organisation that helped to raise money and provide food for the miners. [Nye] was never a hypocrite. [95] According to The Times Literary Supplement, the book was a "dithyramb with meanderings into the many side-tracks of Mr Bevan's private and public experience". The former aimed to provide a uniform standard of consultant led care and expertise throughout the country and to replace the patchwork of voluntary and municipal hospitals which existed at that point. He was convinced that. The club intended to break the hold that the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company had on the town by becoming members of pivotal groups in the community. [38], By March 1938, Bevan was writing in Tribune that Churchill's warnings about German intentions for Czechoslovakia were "a diapason of majestic harmony" compared to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's "thin, listless trickle". [87] The Labour MP David Marquand has stated that the savings were introduced by Gaitskell simply to "impose his will" upon Bevan who he saw as a political rival. Aneurin Bevan. The NHS was funded by a slight increase in taxes, and government income tax was increased for the welfare state expenses. He was readmitted in November, the same year after he agreed to desist from involving himself in campaigns that opposed the declared policy of the Party. The manager of the colliery found an excuse to have him dismissed; however, with the support of the Miners Federation, Bevans case was judged to be one of victimisation and the company was forced to re-employ him. [12] In Parliament, he became noticed as a harsh critic of those he felt opposed the working man and woman. The Daily Herald stated that some MPs were seen to be crying in Parliament and described how there was "sorrow at every street corner" in the South Wales Valleys. [80], At a party rally in 1948, during a speech, Bevan stated: "That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. Bevan's reputation as a hard-line socialist typically preceded him: Sir William Douglas, who served as Bevan's deputy in the Ministry of Health, had initially stated that he would "never work with a man like that". In his biography of Bevan, John Campbell wrote, "Bevan's impetuous temperament, undiplomatic tone and reputation as an extreme left-winger combined to make the Foreign Office seem the last place a prudent Prime Minister would think of putting him at any time. Reciting long passages by William Morris with the help of an elocution tutor, Bevan gradually began to overcome the stammer that he had since childhood. Aneurin " Nye " Bevan PC (15 November 1897 - 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour politician. Bevan believed that the key to the war was the involvement of Russia and considered Churchill was too focused on the intervention of the United States. - Aneurin Bevan, The Lancet, 1948. Aneurin Bevan was born in Tredegar in 1897 into a large mining family and left school at 13 to work in the mine. In 1925, Bevans father died of pneumoconiosis, a lung condition caused by long term inhalation of coal dust, but no compensation was paid. [46] Historian Max Hastings described Bevan's role in Parliament during the war as "his figures were accurate but his scorn was at odds with the spirit of the momentfull of gratitude, as was the prime minister". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Image Credit: Anenurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the National Health Service, 5 July 1948 at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester / Wikimedia Commons. In one of his most noted speeches made against Churchill, he railed that the prime minister "wins debate after debate and loses battle after battle". He won the seat easily and made it to parliament. Shortly afterwards he resigned from the government in protest at the introduction of prescription charges for dental care and spectacles. Aneurin Nye Bevan (1897-1960) is widely regarded as one of the most influential left-wing politicians in British history. Bevan opposed the heavy censorship imposed on radio and newspapers and wartime Defence Regulation 18B, which gave the Home Secretary the powers to intern citizens. BBC Wales documentary, originally aired December 18th 2012.Aneurin Bevan (pronounced /narn/; Welsh: [an.rin]; 15 November 1897 - 6 July 1960), often k. Contact, Facts are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 'Father of the NHS': Who Was Aneurin Bevan? | History Hit However, the. Aneurin Bevan | Biography & Facts | Britannica They condemned millions of first-class people to semi-starvation. In 1955, he stood as one of the candidates for party leader but was defeated by Hugh Gaitskell. The Gaitskellites typically won most of the battles inside Parliament, but Bevanism was stronger among local Labour activists. full audio of Bevan's speech at the 4 November 1956 Trafalgar Square rally against British action in Suez. [12] Harold Macmillan ended his Prime Minister's Questions session in Parliament two days after Bevan's death by paying tribute to the opposition MP, describing him as "a great personality and a great national figure". Bevan gained more than twice the votes of Liberal candidate William Griffiths, receiving 20,000 votes to Griffiths' 8,000. Are we prepared to accept for ourselves the logic we are applying to Egypt? In 1934, he married fellow MP Jennie Lee, who was described as more left-wing than Nye. Bevan's death in 1960 led to "an outpouring of national mourning". You cannot collaborate, you cannot accept the logic of collaboration on a first class issue like rearmament, and at the same time evade the implications of collaboration all along the line when the occasion demands it.[38]. From 1940 to 1945 he was editor of the independent Socialist Tribune. [133] The following year, Bevan was voted number one in the 100 Welsh Heroes poll, a response to find the public's favourite Welsh people of all time. [9] The miners remained on strike for six months. Bevan, Aneurin (1897-1960). The new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, appointed Bevan as Minister of Health, with a remit that also covered housing. The son of a miner, Bevan became a colliers helper at age 13 but had to leave the mines in a few years because of eye disease. [60] He earned a rebuke from Attlee, but Bevan contended that his Welsh mining constituency did not send him to Parliament to "dress up", and he declined to wear formal attire at further Buckingham Palace functions. Photo by Duncan from Leicestershire, UK Wikimedia Commons. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Bevan had been a supporter of the Liberal Party in his youth, but was converted to socialism by the writings of Robert Blatchford in The Clarion and joined the Independent Labour Party. Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the National Health Service, 5 July 1948 at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester. His National Health Service policy met great disapproval from the British Medical Association. [32][33] Bevan and another expelled MP, George Strauss, appealed against the decision. Bevan died in his sleep at 4.10pm on 6 July 1960, at the age of 62, at his home, Asheridge Farm, Chesham, Buckinghamshire. C. 1924. If we accept the contention that the common enemy is Hitler and not the British capitalist class, then certainly Churchill is right. Aneurin Bevan and the setting up of the NHS The National Health Service. 2. Labour Party deputy leader Herbert Morrison complained that Bevan's attack had backfired, for his words "did much more to make the Tories work and vote than Conservative Central Office could have done". He was born in Tredegar, Wales, on 15th November 1897. After his studies in 1921, he returned home without work as the Tredegar Iron & Coal Company refused to re-engage him. Bevanism was a movement on the left wing of the Labour Party in the late 1950s led by Aneurin Bevan which also included Richard Crossman, Michael Foot and Barbara Castle. After the landslide Labour victory in the 1945 general election, Bevan was appointed minister of health, responsible for establishing the National Health Service. They collected monies among themselves was what they did to support a member who needed it each week. [9][20] In keeping with his background, Bevan described his initial thoughts on the House of Commons as a shrine to "the most conservative of all religions ancestor worship". Top 10 Interesting facts about Aneurin Bevan - Discover Walks His autobiography, In Place of Fear, appeared in 1952. But it means abandonment of the class struggle and the subservience of the British workers to their own employers. In 1934 he married another Labour MP, Jennie Lee. One of ten children (though four died in infancy and one at eight years old), Bevans father was a coal miner and Baptist, while his mother a seamstress and follower of Methodism. Updates? Indeed, these factors, exacerbated by post-war restrictions on the availability of building materials and skilled labour, collectively served to limit Bevan's achievements in this area. [119] He checked into the Royal Free Hospital in London on 27 December 1959 to undergo surgery for an ulcer, but malignant stomach cancer was discovered instead in a major operation two days later. A statue of Aneurin Bevan in Cardiff. Bevan was actually against British membership of the Common Market. Some historians have questioned how influential the college was on his political development. He went on to serve as shadow foreign secretary from 1956-59 and deputy leader of the Labour party from 1959-60. [1] The town was situated in the South Wales Valleys and was on the northern edge of the South Wales coalfield. After Bevan left the Health ministry in 1951 he could never regain his level of success and feuded with fellow Labour leaders, using his strong political base as a weapon. Aneurin Bevan was born on 15th November 1897 in Tredegar, Monmouthshire (now in Blaenau Gwent). In 1934,Aneurin BevanmarriedSocialist MP, Jennie Lee. Winston Churchill, the target of numerous diatribes from Bevan during his career, commented that Bevan was "one of the few members that I will sit still and listen to". Bevan led the left wing of the Labour Party, known as the 'Bevanites', for the next five years. There was an outpouring of national mourning that followed his death, while the Daily Herald reported that some MPs were seen to be crying in Parliament. [7], Bevan became a well-known local orator and was seen by his employers, the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, as a troublemaker. Photo by Lesbardd Wikimedia Commons. Aneurin Bevan was born on 15 th November 1897 in Tredegar, Monmouthshire (now in Blaenau Gwent). [47] His fierce opposition made him unpopular with some portions of the public at the time, his wife later described how the couple would frequently receive parcels filled with excrement at their home.[48]. If we are going to appeal to force, if force is to be the arbiter to which we appeal, it would at least make common sense to try to make sure beforehand that we have got it, even if you accept that abysmal logic, that decadent point of view.We are in fact in the position today of having appealed to force in the case of a small nation, where if it is appealed to against us it will result in the destruction of Great Britain, not only as a nation, but as an island containing living men and women. He was a strong critic of the arming policy the British government adopted during the rise of Hitler. He had also seen disputes with some of Attlee's closest allies, Ernest Bevin and Herbert Morrison, who were appointed Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House respectively. His appointment came with great displeasure from political opponents and members of his party. Bevan called for the nationalisation of the coal industry and advocated the opening of a Second Front in Western Europe to help the Soviet Union in its fight with Germany. After an overwhelming victory for the Labour Party in the 1945 General Election,Aneurin Bevanwas appointed Minister for Health also responsible for housing by Prime Minister Clement Attlee. Aneurin Bevan was born on November 15, 1897, in Tredegar in Wales. [48][65] They threatened to derail the National Health Service scheme before it had even begun, as medical practitioners continued to withhold their support just months before the launch of the service. [117] His last speech in the House of Commons, in the debate of 3 November 1959 on the Queen's Speech,[118] referred to the difficulties of persuading the electorate to support a policy which would make them less well-off in the short term, but more prosperous in the long term. Before entering Parliament, Bevan was involved in miner's union politics and was a leading figure in the 1926 general strike. [27] Mosley broke from the Labour Party in early 1931 to form the New Party, but Bevan refused to defect and instead announced that he had no intention of leaving the Labour Party. He became a well-known local orator, and was regarded with suspicion by his employers, the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. The NHS is a massive employer. In the speeches section, we will be building an archive of Bevans greatest oratory including archive recordings. By 19 he was active in trade unionism and was head of his local miners' lodge . They criticised the right-wing "Gaitskellites" high defence expenditure (especially for nuclear weapons), called for better relations with the Soviet Union, and opposed the party leader, Clement Attlee, on most issues. In its early stages this proved true, as the service went vastly over budget in its inaugural year, and Attlee was forced to make a radio address to the nation in an attempt to limit the strain on the system. [121] In May 1960 Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, while in England visited Bevan at his home in Asheridge Farm (where Bevan was a keen amateur farmer, keeping cattle and pigs).[122]. Bevan contested the leadership against both Morrison and Labour right-winger Gaitskell, but it was Gaitskell who emerged victorious with more than half of the ballots. His remains were cremated at Gwent Crematorium in Croesyceiliog in a private family ceremony. Lee became a considerable influence upon Bevans career. In 1928, Bevan won a seat on Monmouthshire County Council and was elected as the MP for Ebbw Vale the following year. Nye Bevan Speech (1946) - YouTube In 1987, a bronze statue of Bevan was erected in the city centre of Cardiff, while the Aneurin Bevan Memorial Stones were erected at the beginning of the Sirhowy Valley Walk with three smaller stones (representing three towns of his constituency Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Tredegar) surrounding a larger stone, which represents Bevan.