Portrait of Aneurin Bevan. He died on July 6, 1960, leaving a significant legacy, namely the National Health Service. 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". Discover Walks contributors speak from all corners of the world - from Prague to Bangkok, Barcelona to Nairobi. While this was not an insignificant achievement: the 850,000 homes built in the four years immediately after the war ended was the biggest housing programme ever introduced,[78] Bevan's rate of house-building was seen as less of an achievement than that of his Conservative (indirect) successor, Harold Macmillan, who was able to complete some 300,000 new homes a year as Minister for Housing in the 1950s. However, Attlee commented that Bevan was "starting with me with a clean sheet" following his appointment. [75][79] Macmillan was also able to concentrate full-time on the housing crisis, instead of being obliged, like Bevan, to combine his housing portfolio with that for Health (which for Bevan took the higher priority: he once stated tongue-in-cheek that he devoted "five minutes a week to housing"). However, by the end of his tenure, he had declared Bevan as "the best minister we have had". [10] The Query club started in 1920 or 1921 and they met in Tredegar. [75][76][77] 1946 saw the completion of 55,600 new homes; this rose to 139,600 in 1947 and 227,600 in 1948. Bevan then endured another year of unemployment, the family surviving on his sister's wages, when his unemployment benefit was stopped due to her income, and his father's sick pay. His agitations for a united socialist front of all parties of the left (including the Communist Party of Great Britain) led to his brief expulsion from the Labour Party from March to November 1939 (along with Stafford Cripps, C. P. Trevelyan and three others). [84][85] During his tenure, he helped to secure a deal for railwaymen which provided them with a significant pay increase. Photo by Jeremy Segrott from Cardiff, Wales, UK Wikimedia Commons. He was born in Tredegar, Wales, on 15th November 1897. Bevan's maternal grandfather John was a blacksmith who had moved to Tredegar from Hay-on-Wye to work in the Bedwellty mines. Bevan was elected unopposed as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 1959, succeeding Griffiths. His work in the mines paid off as he gained sponsorship from the South Wales Miners Federation to study at Central Labour College in 1919. He believed that a civilized society should be able to provide medical care for all of its citizens for free so that anyone in need of medical care, no matter what they earn, can have access to it. In 2002, Bevan was voted the 45th greatest Briton of all time by a BBC public opinion poll. He read Marxism at the college and was a brief follower of Noah Ablett,[11][12] developing his left-wing political outlook. 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. [51] He also voiced criticism of trade union leaders, which drew complaints from both the Miners' Federation and the Trades Union Congress. Before entering Parliament, Bevan was involved in miner's union politics and was a leading figure in the 1926 general strike. Bevan was critical of the leadership of the British Army, which he felt was class bound and inflexible. Aneurin Bevan | Founder of the National Health Service He was adept at construction and added several modern features when the family moved to 7 Charles Street, installing the first gas stove in the street, an inside toilet and running hot water. When Winston Churchill said that the Labour Party should refrain from giving Adolf Hitler the impression that Britain was divided, Bevan rejected this as sinister: The fear of Hitler is to be used to frighten the workers of Britain into silence. His remains were cremated at Gwent Crematorium in Croesyceiliog in a private family ceremony. 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. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says, "Bevan alone kept the flag of left-wing socialism aloft throughoutwhich gave him a matchless authority amongst the constituency parties and in party conference". My history hero: Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan (1897-1960) We want the complete political extinction of the Tory Party, and twenty-five years of Labour Government. Aneurin Bevan, was born at 32 Charles Street, Tredegar, on 15th November 1897. At the start of World War Two the government realised that, if it was to cope with the huge number of anticipated . It was around this time that he first "reject[ed] his chapel upbringing" and became an atheist. The Labour conference voted to drop its opposition to rearmament. Bevan, Aneurin (1897-1960). "[56], The 1945 general election resulted in a landslide victory for the Labour Party, giving it a large enough majority to allow the implementation of the party's manifesto commitments and to introduce a programme of far-reaching social reforms, that were collectively dubbed the "Welfare State". His National Health Service policy met great disapproval from the British Medical Association. Bevan countered that the initial overspending was down to years of underinvestment in the British medical system prior to the Second World War: by the start of the 1950s, the early overspending had come to an end.[65]. [134][135] Numerous institutions bear Bevan's name, including the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan, a hospital located within his old Ebbw Vale constituency. His father was a miner and the poor working class family in which Bevan grew up gave him first-hand experience of the problems. In January 1951, Bevan became Minister for Labour but resigned in protest just three months later after Hugh Gaitskell, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, proposed an introduction of prescription charges for dental care and spectacles in order to save a potential 25 million to meet the financial demands of the Korean War. Pronunciation of Aneurin Bevan: Learn how to pronounce the word Aneurin Bevan.Definition and meaning can be found here: https://www.google.com/search?q=defin. The three won their case, and obtained financial damages of 2,500 each. He published the bookIn Place of Fear in 1952, which became the most read socialist book at the time. Aneurin Bevan with his eye on the Ball. His wage of 5 a week was paid by the members of the local Miners' Lodge. Aneurin "Nye" Bevan PC (/narn bvn/; Welsh:[an.rn]; 15 November 1897 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour Party politician, noted for tenure as Minister of Health in Clement Attlee's government in which he spearheaded the creation of the British National Health Service. 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. Aneurin Bevan was born on 15 November 1897 in Tredegar in Wales. He was a strong critic of the arming policy the British government adopted during the rise of Hitler. He is known for leading the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) to give medical care free at point-of-need to all Britons. [130] The Nye Bevan Estate in Clapton Park, Hackney, London, was named after Bevan, and was opened in October 1962 by his friend and biographer Michael Foot. They would collect money weekly for any member who needed it. . Whether you want to learn the history of a city, or you simply need a recommendation for your next meal, Discover Walks Team offers an ever-growing travel encyclopaedia. Aneurin Bevan Worksheets & Facts | Life, Political Career, Legacy On July 5 1948 the National Health Service took control of 480,000 hospital beds in England and Wales. [31] In 1936 he joined the board of the new socialist newspaper Tribune. He died on 6 July 1960. Aneurin Bevan Biography, Life, Interesting Facts "[49], Dunbar had been recommended for a commission, but rejected it himself to remain with his unit. [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". Bevanism - Wikipedia Bevan argues that the percentage of tax from personal incomes rose from 9% in 1938 to 15% in 1949. ], In 1951, with the retirement of Ernest Bevin, Bevan was a leading candidate for Foreign Secretary. Top 15 Things to do Around the Eiffel Tower, 10 Things to Do in Paris on Christmas Day (2022), 10 Things to Do in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Described as "more left-wing than Nye", Lee became a considerable influence on Bevan's political career. Bevan was not good academically and was at a time repeated for a year in school. Bevan led the left wing of the Labour Party, known as the 'Bevanites', for the next five years. Bevan was not good academically and was at a time repeated for a year in school. He is particularly noted for his tenure as Minister for Health in Clement Attlees government, in which he pioneered the creation of the British National Health Service. How To Say Aneurin Bevan - YouTube [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. But seven decades after it was founded, a 2013 opinion poll conducted on behalf of British Future found that the NHS was more popular than at its creation, and more popular than the monarchy, the BBC, and the British Armed Forces. 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. Bevan was named Minister of Labour in 1951, but resigned after two months in office, when the Attlee government proposed the introduction of prescription charges for dental and vision care and decided to transfer funds from the National Insurance Fund to pay for rearmament. 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. Aneurin Bevan trainee doctors 'scared to come to work' - BBC News In 1934,Aneurin BevanmarriedSocialist MP, Jennie Lee. Perhaps the greatest and certainly one of the most controversial of Labour Party politicians, Bevan was born in Tredegar, a miner's son in a dissenting family. His appointment came during the post-war housing shortage and the need for a radical change in the National Health Service. 70 years of the NHS: How Aneurin Bevan created our beloved health 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. The same year, Labour were defeated in the General Election. In 1934, he married fellow MP Jennie Lee, who was described as more left-wing than Nye. Photo by Kaihsu Tai on 2005-07-07 Wikimedia Commons. Aneurin is second from right on the back row and his brother Billy is second right on front row. Like many other students of Bevans class, his formal education ended when he was 14 years of age when he began to work in the mines. Aneurin Bevan Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline In February 1925, his father died of pneumoconiosis, an illness caused by the inhalation of coal dust. [45][by whom? Despite resistance from opposition parties and the British Medical Association, the National Health Service Act 1946 was passed and launched in 1948, nationalising more than 2,500 hospitals within the United Kingdom. The facts, figures and quotes that shaped the history of the National Health Service . Dr James Calvert, medical director for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said it was important to remember the report was made during the pandemic, "which has significantly disrupted the . KidzSearch Safe Wikipedia for Kids. When Labour supported the government's scheme with no such conditions, Bevan denounced Labour for imploring the people on recruiting platforms to put themselves under the leadership of their opponents. [45] Clement Attlee expressed his support that Bevan should have been the leader of the Labour Party during his lifetime but was held back by his demeanour, stating "he wants to be two things simultaneously, rebel and official leader, and you can't be both". 'Father of the NHS': Who Was Aneurin Bevan? | History Hit He wanted the war to be not just a fight against fascism but a war for socialism. Photo by Lesbardd Wikimedia Commons. - Aneurin Bevan, The Lancet, 1948. 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. 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. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. Read more. A blue plaque was erected in 2015 by English Heritage at 23 Cliveden Place, Chelsea, London SW1W 8HD, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. 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. [11] Bevan remained at the college until 1921, attending at a time when a number of his contemporaries from South Wales, including Jim Griffiths, were also students at the college. Aneurin Bevan and the setting up of the NHS The National Health Service. [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". Aneurin's name is pronounced 'uh-ny-rin'. He lost the seat in 1931, but regained it in 1932 before deciding against seeking re-election in 1934. [113] According to the journalist Paul Routledge, Donald Bruce, a former MP and Parliamentary Private Secretary and adviser to Bevan, had told him that Bevan's shift on the disarmament issue was the result of discussions with the Soviet government, where they advised him to push for British retention of nuclear weapons so they could possibly be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States.[114]. 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]. He first became an MP for Ebbw Vale in 1929. Aged 14, he left school to start working in the mines, starting at 5:30am each day and returning home late in the evening. In 1934 he married another Labour MP, Jennie Lee. Bevans role as Minister for Health was hugely important given Labours pledge to create a welfare state that included sick pay, unemployment benefits, pensions and free healthcare for all, irrespective of wealth or background. At an early age of only 19 years, he became a trade union activist and headed the local miners lodge after joining the Tredegar branch of the South Wales Miner Federation. [70][71] The aim was to create new homes and communities with a place for all sections of society: We should try to introduce in our modern villages and towns what was always the lovely feature of English and Welsh villages, where the doctor, the grocer, the butcher and the farm labourer all lived in the same street. 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? [111], Bevan dismayed many of his supporters when he suddenly reversed his opposition to nuclear weapons. Bevan followed his advice, often practising his speeches to his friends to perfect his speech and wording, and remarked that Conway's words were the "best advice I ever had". Bevan was also limited due to his desire for new homes to be bigger and of better quality than the ones they were being built to replace, based on the recommendations of a 1943 report by the Dudley Committee, and a shortage of skilled workers to undertake the work. [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. We may all come from different walks of life but we have one common passion - learning through travel. Tomorrow he will be cremated in keeping with his known views. [99] For the next five years, he was the leader of the left wing of the Labour Party, who became known as Bevanites. With less motivation for studies, he left school at age 13 to work at a local Ty- Trist Colliery. Bevan was a supporter of the Liberal Party as a child, but later converted to socialism and joined the Independent Labour Party. 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. 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. There is a man in the British Army who flung 150,000 men across the Ebro in Spain, Michael Dunbar. 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. [64] The scheme was achieved having overcome political opposition from both the Conservative Party and from within his own party. Therefore I say to Anthony, I say to the British government, there is no count at all upon which they can be defended.They have besmirched the name of Britain. Bevan's past association with Mosley would be used against him in subsequent years by his political rivals. Aneurin Bevanand other members were briefly suspended from the Labour Party in March 1939 as he advocated for a united socialist front of all parties of the left. In 1926, he became a key leader of the South Wales miners during a General Strike, being largely responsible for the distribution of strike pay in Tredegar and for forming the Council of Action, an organisation that helped to raise money and provide food for the workers. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. Although he was defeated, he gained attention from his peers and he won a scholarship to the Central Labour College in London, sponsored by the South Wales Miners' Federation. From 1940 to 1945 he was editor of the independent Socialist Tribune. Aneurin Bevan Facts: Aneurin Bevan was a Welsh Labour politician widely considered the architect of the National Health Service. [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". Shortly afterwards he resigned from the government in protest at the introduction of prescription charges for dental care and spectacles. NHS: Tredegar building to tell story of Aneurin Bevan's inspiration 'Nye is asleep next door. David Bevan was born in Tredegar but his family had originally hailed from Carmarthenshire, and he followed his own father into the mines, starting work at 5:30am each day and returning home late in the evening. Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan (1897-1960) is widely regarded as one of the most influential left-wing politicians in British history. His nomination received a severe blow on the same day it was announced, when two unions that traditionally sided with the left, the National Union of Mineworkers and the Amalgamated Engineering Union, pledged their support for his opponent. When Attlee retired from the leadership in 1955, Bevan unsuccessfully contested the party leadership with Hugh Gaitskell, but was appointed Shadow Colonial Secretary and later Shadow Foreign Secretary.
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