Conway is in the middle of the picture. Later today he will be taken home to Wales. Despite his conflict with Attlee, Bevan was instrumental in developing a program that oversaw the building of 850,000 new homes between 1945 and 1950, which were good quality houses, owned by local councils and rented out to people at affordable prices. [106] Bevan's remark that "I know the right kind of political Leader for the Labour Party is a kind of desiccated calculating machine" was assumed to refer to Gaitskell, although Bevan denied it (commenting upon Gaitskell's record as Chancellor of the Exchequer as having "proved" this). [42] He emphasised that the government had no arguments to persuade young men to fight "except merely in another squalid attempt to defend themselves against the redistribution of international swag". The memorial stones of Aneurin Bevan in Tredegar, 2011. The latter sale and purchase of goodwill often placed new entrants to the GP profession under large amounts of debt. A free health service is pure Socialism and as such it is opposed to the hedonism of capitalist society. 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. Aneurin is second from right on the back row and his brother Billy is second right on front row. In 1947, Bevan stated "All I am doing is extending to the entire population of Britain the benefits we had in Tredegar for a generation or more. [7], Bevan became a well-known local orator and was seen by his employers, the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, as a troublemaker. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. William Shakespeares Wife: Who Was Anne Hathaway? "Oratory in Political Life,", This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 03:25. In 2004, more than 44 years after his death, he was voted first in a list of 100 Welsh Heroes, having been credited for his contribution to the founding of the welfare state in the UK. The Birth of the NHS - July 5th 1948 | Nursing Times Aneurin Bevan was born on November 15, 1897, in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, to David Bevan and Phoebe nee Prothero. He knelt reverently in respect to a friend or friend's faith, but he never pretended to be anything other than what he was, a humanist. [104] The Parliamentary Labour Party voted 141 to 113 to withdraw the whip from him, but it was restored within a month, due to his popularity. [91], Later the same year, the Labour Party were defeated at the general election. [57][58] These reforms were achieved in the face of great financial difficulty following the war. From 1940 to 1945 he was editor of the independent Socialist Tribune. - Aneurin Bevan, The Lancet, 1948. 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. [63] Having been a member of the Cottage Hospital Management Committee around 1928 and serving as chairman in 192930, Bevan had received an insight into the management of health services by local authorities, which proved to be a bedrock of his work in founding the National Health Service.[48]. Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a Welsh politician born on November 15, 1897. 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. Anenurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the National Health Service, 5 July 1948 at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester. Lesser-known, perhaps, is Bevans own personal background. Nonetheless, for the next few years, Bevan was at the centre of controversy within the party earning the nickname Nye the Rhetorician and ultimately gave his name to the partys more left-leaning radical wing, which included campaigning for nuclear disarmament. Photo by Howard Coster Wikimedia Commons. 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. 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. London.A man presents Mr Aneurin (Nye) Bevan, Minister of Health, to a large gathering of National Federation of Building Trades Operatives - natural sound. [86] However, three months after his appointment, Hugh Gaitskell introduced a proposal of prescription charges for dental care and spectaclescreated to save a potential 25m to meet the financial demands imposed by the Korean War. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aneurin_Bevan&oldid=1149734012, Fairlie, Henry. After two years at Central Labour College, London, he entered politics and in 1929 was elected to the House of Commons as Labour member from Ebbw Vale. Rediscovering Richard III with Matt Lewis, Rome and the Amalfi Coast with Tristan Hughes, Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, How Rome Became the Sole Superpower in the Mediterranean, Charles Martel: A Heroic Leader of Medieval Europe. Confrontation with the British Medical Association (BMA) was led by Charles Hill, who published a letter in the British Medical Journal describing Bevan as "a complete and uncontrolled dictator". [22][23] He had solid support from his constituency, being one of the few Labour MPs to be unopposed in the 1931 General Election, and this support grew through the 1930s and the period of the Great Depression. He began attending fortnightly meetings of the local Plebs' League where he studied, among other things, Marxism. [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. [1][3], The couple had ten children altogethersix boys and four girlsalthough four died in infancy and one died at the age of eight. Aneurin Bevan was born on 15 November 1897 at 32 Charles Street in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, a working-class mining town, where an estimated 90 per cent of the town's inhabitants relied on the local mines for employment. Before entering Parliament, Bevan was involved in miner's union politics and was a leading figure in the 1926 general strike. He won the seat easily and made it to parliament. His parents had ten children togetherfour died in infancy and one died at the age of eight. Student Activities. Bevan, Aneurin (1897-1960). In 1934,Aneurin BevanmarriedSocialist MP, Jennie Lee. [61], The free National Health Service was paid for directly through public money. He was born to David Bevan a coal miner and Phoebe nee Prothero a seamstress as one of their ten children. Photo by Spudgun67 Wikimedia Commons. His appointment came during the post-war housing shortage and the need for a radical change in the National Health Service. Aneurin Bevan Facts: Aneurin Bevan was a Welsh Labour politician widely considered the architect of the National Health Service. Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan (1897-1960) is widely regarded as one of the most influential left-wing politicians in British history. The National Health Service and the Welfare State have come to be used as interchangeable terms, and in the mouths of some people as terms of reproach. [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. 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. 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. Photo by Geoff Charles Wikimedia Commons. [128], Bevan was particularly noted for his public speaking, being described by Robin Butler, Baron Butler of Brockwell, as "the greatest parliamentary speaker since Charles James Fox". [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. 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. 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. [15] Apart from a six-week period as a labourer for Tredegar Council, he did not find work until 1924 and his employer, the Bedwellty Colliery, closed down ten months later. 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. The move was seen by some as a sideways or backwards step, although a potential rearmament program was expected to make the post of future importance. [107] He instead stood again for the role of party treasurer and was duly elected, beating George Brown.[108]. Along that road is endless retreat, and at the end of it a voluntary totalitarian State with ourselves erecting the barbed wire around. Updates? [62] This system proved so popular that 20,000 people supported the organisation during the 1930s. Aneurin " Nye " Bevan PC (15 November 1897 - 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour politician. The NHS is a massive employer. Bevan was as critical of Nasserist Egypt's seizure of the Suez Canal on 26 July 1956 as he was of the subsequent Anglo-French military response. His autobiography, In Place of Fear, appeared in 1952, Aneurin Bevan. He died on July 6, 1960, leaving a significant legacy, namely the National Health Service. [6] He worked at the butcher's for several months before leaving school, instead working in the local Ty-Trist Colliery. Use the tabs above to learn about Nye Bevan's life, work and ideas, as well as the history of the NHS. Top 10 Interesting facts about Aneurin Bevan - Discover Walks Use the tabs aboveto learn about Nye Bevans life, work and ideas, as well as the history of the NHS. 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. Additionally, he was a brilliant spontaneous debater and a colorful public personality. My history hero: Aneurin 'Nye' Bevan (1897-1960) This club was aimed at helping members in monetary terms in their times of need. In 2002, Bevan was voted the 45th greatest Briton of all time by a BBC public opinion poll. After his resignation, Bevan served as Shadow Foreign Secretary from 1955 to 1959. They have offended against every principle of decency and there is only one way in which they can even begin to restore their tarnished reputation and that is to get out! [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. [90] Bevan received unanimous support for his actions from his local Labour constituency leaders. On the 'appointed day', 5 July 1948, Bevan's National Health Service Act 1946 came into force. [1], Both Bevan's parents were Nonconformists: his father was a Baptist and his mother a Methodist, although he became an atheist. [16][17] In 1926 he found work as a paid union official. His dad was a miner and the poor working class family in which Bevan grew up gave him first-hand experience of the problems of . Aneurin Bevan and the setting up of the NHS The National Health Service. I believe that is essential for the full life of citizen to see the living tapestry of a mixed community. He was not, apparently, one of the most diligent students, and found it difficult to follow an organised routine, including arising early for breakfast. We can't allow OUR NHS, built on the working class medical society model to fall to corporate greed. Image Credit: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw58048/Aneurin-Bevan / Wikimedia Commons, The Road to the Crown - Elizabeth I's Coronation Procession, Built by a Giantess? BBC Wales documentary, originally aired December 18th 2012.Aneurin Bevan (pronounced /narn/; Welsh: [an.rin]; 15 November 1897 - 6 July 1960), often k. We may all come from different walks of life but we have one common passion - learning through travel. Corrections? [10] The Query club started in 1920 or 1921 and they met in Tredegar. 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. In 1928, Bevan won a seat on Monmouthshire County Council in the Tredegar Central Division. What does Aneurin Bevan's legacy mean today? - Cardiff University "[97], In March 1952, a poorly prepared Bevan came off the worse in an evening Commons debate on health with Conservative backbencher Iain Macleod, whose performance led Churchill to appoint him as Minister of Health some six weeks after the debate. 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 first became an MP for Ebbw Vale in 1929. It was Aneurin Bevan, the Minister of Health in the UK from 1945 to 1951, who started the NHS in 1948. [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. Bevan's maternal grandfather John was a blacksmith who had moved to Tredegar from Hay-on-Wye to work in the Bedwellty mines. When Bevan was made a minister in 1945, he envisaged the social housing sector as a housing service similar to the National Health Service, ensuring that everyone had access to decent and affordable homes, with people still having the option to live in owner occupation or the private sector if they so chose (with grants made available to owner-occupiers and private landlords to bring dwellings up to decent standards). [12] In Parliament, he became noticed as a harsh critic of those he felt opposed the working man and woman. Read more. The facts, figures and quotes that shaped the history of the National Health Service . 70 years of the NHS: How Aneurin Bevan created our beloved health [12] Churchill would later label Bevan "a squalid nuisance". 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 appeared in court but was cleared when he produced confirmation that he suffered from nystagmus. He was born to David Bevan a coal miner and Phoebe nee Prothero a seamstress as one of their ten children. "[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. Bevan Festival. 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. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. 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 was a supporter of the Liberal Party as a child, but later converted to socialism and joined the Independent Labour Party. With his posture in parliament, he gained great support from his constituents. [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. [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. Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the National Health Service, 5 July 1948 at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester. 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. Aneurin Bevan - Wikipedia His "vermin" speech still resonated: imagination shuddered at a repetition of that on the international stage. [43] Bevan was relieved that the country had united against Nazi Germany in the fight against fascism to provide a common enemy away from the working class. For local insights and insiders travel tips that you wont find anywhere else, search any keywords in the top right-hand toolbar on this page. Bevan left school at 13 and began working in a local colliery. Why Did Shakespeare Paint Richard III as a Villain? Thus, the responsibility for instituting a new and comprehensive National Health Service, as well as tackling the country's severe post-war housing shortage, was given to Bevan, the youngest member of Attlee's Cabinet in his first ministerial position at the age of 47. In 1928, Bevan won a seat on Monmouthshire County Council and was elected as the MP for Ebbw Vale the following year. In addition, he is known for his wider contribution to the founding of the British welfare state. As a result of this success, he was picked as the Labour Party candidate for Ebbw Vale, then easily held the seat in the 1929 General Election, receiving more than twice the number of votes as the Liberal candidate. [103] Although unsuccessful in his bid, he did celebrate 25 years as the MP for Ebbw Vale. Born into a working class family in Monmouthshire, Wales, Bevan worked in a coal mine as a teenager, and it was through a miners union that he first became interested in politics. For the next few years Bevan was the centre of controversy within the Labour Party and involuntarily gave his name to the partys radical wing. Are we prepared to accept for ourselves the logic we are applying to Egypt? 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. [50], Bevan was subject to further disciplinary action in 1944, when he deliberately voted against Labour's stance on new defence regulations. Portrait of Aneurin Bevan. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Aneurin Bevan Facts: Aneurin Bevan was a Welsh Labour politician widely considered the architect of the National Health Service. There, he spent two years studying economics, politics and history. 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. Aneurin Bevan was born on 15 November 1897 at 32 Charles Street in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, a working-class mining town, where an estimated 90 per cent of the town's inhabitants relied on the local mines for employment. Photo by Howard Coster - Wikimedia Commons, Portrait of Aneurin Bevan. History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. Aneurin Bevan was born in Tredegar in 1897 into a large mining family and left school at 13 to work in the mine. 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. [40] Bevan now called unsuccessfully for a Popular Front against fascism under the leadership of the Labour Party, including even anti-fascist Tories. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. C. 1924. Bevan died from stomach cancer in 1960 at the age of 62. Shortly afterwards he resigned from the government in protest at the introduction of prescription charges for dental care and spectacles. 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. 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. [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". Aneurin Bevan - Spartacus Educational If nations more powerful than ourselves accept the absence of principle, the anarchistic attitude of Eden and launch bombs on London, what answer have we got, what complaint have we got? Throughout World War II he was a vigorous critic of Winston Churchills coalition government but was equally critical of his own party. Former Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan ended his Prime Ministers Questions two days after Bevans death with a tribute to him, describing him as a great personality and a great national figure. Plaque, Aneurin Bevan memorial stones, Tredegar. Bevan gained more than twice the votes of Liberal candidate William Griffiths, receiving 20,000 votes to Griffiths' 8,000. 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