The facts, figures and quotes that shaped the history of the National Health Service . [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. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. [13], Bevan was one of the founding members of the "Query Club" with his brother Billy and Walter Conway. He was born in Tredegar, Wales, on 15th November 1897. [41] The Military Training Act 1939 reintroduced conscription six months later, and Bevan joined the rest of the Labour Party in opposing it, calling it "the complete abandonment of any hope of a successful struggle against the weight of wealth in Great Britain". There, he spent two years studying economics, politics and history. Bevan was not good academically and was at a time repeated for a year in school. 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. - Aneurin Bevan, The Lancet, 1948. His "vermin" speech still resonated: imagination shuddered at a repetition of that on the international stage. [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. In the coming decade, his support grew, particularly through the Great Depression. 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. 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 . [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. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin. [101] He later said that he had resigned his position to "call attention to the fact that their movement was in grave crisis", and stated his belief that he would have been party chairman by the following year if he had remained. [88][89] Two other ministers, John Freeman and Harold Wilson, resigned at the same time. Get out! 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". This club was aimed at helping members in monetary terms in their times of need. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Aged 14, he left school to start working in the mines, starting at 5:30am each day and returning home late in the evening. Aneurin Bevan - Former Secretary of State for Health, Facts, Childhood Aneurin Bevan - Spartacus Educational He won the seat easily and made it to parliament. Soon, thereafter became an activist and initially, a supporter of syndicalism. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. 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. Bevan attended the local school, where he was deeply shy because of a severe stammer that he developed as a child. He compared Gamal Abdel Nasser with Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, from One Thousand and One Nights. There was a particularly large increase in marginal tax rates for wealthy business owners. [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". Aneurin Nye Bevan (1897-1960) is widely regarded as one of the most influential left-wing politicians in British history. 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. The NHS was funded by a slight increase in taxes, and government income tax was increased for the welfare state expenses. Updates? 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. Aneurin Bevan Worksheets & Facts | Life, Political Career, Legacy [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". Aneurin Bevan was born on November 15, 1897, in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, to David Bevan and Phoebe nee Prothero. 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. C. 1924. [123][124] An open-air service was held in his constituency of Ebbw Vale and was presided over by Donald Soper. [115] Crossman later acknowledged that they had perjured themselves to do so.[116]. 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. Nye gave us the greatest Socalist model ever seen in 1948. [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. By 19 he was active in trade unionism and was head of his local miners' lodge . [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. 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. Along with this, the Medical Practices Committee was to oversee the distribution of GP practices a proposal which the previous Coalition Minister had withdrawn after opposition from the British Medical Association. We may all come from different walks of life but we have one common passion - learning through travel. 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]. The Labour conference voted to drop its opposition to rearmament. His influence waned after his departure, although a left-wing group (not under his control) within the party became known as "Bevanites". Bevan died in his sleep at 4.10pm on 6 July 1960, at the age of 62, at his home, Asheridge Farm, Chesham, Buckinghamshire. BBC Wales documentary, originally aired December 18th 2012.Aneurin Bevan (pronounced /narn/; Welsh: [an.rin]; 15 November 1897 - 6 July 1960), often k. 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. KS2 All About Aneurin Bevan PowerPoint (teacher made) - Twinkl After the war, Bevan was chosen as the Minister of Health in Clement Attlee's new Labour government, becoming the youngest member of the cabinet at 47, with his remit also including housing. Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a Welsh politician born on November 15, 1897. Top 10 Interesting facts about Aneurin Bevan - Discover Walks The Aneurin Bevan, former Cross Inn, September 2018, This is a photo of the listed building number. Aneurin Bevan was born on November 15, 1897, in Tredegar, Monmouthshire in the South Wales Valleys. At the age of 13, in his last months of schooling, he worked as a butcher's boy at a local store. Bevanism was opposed by the Gaitskellites, moderate social democrats within the party. In 1957 he argued that sovereignty would be taken away from parliament if Britain was to join, much the same argument as Brexiteers make today. [96] In the opening page of the book, Bevan begins: "A young miner in a South Wales colliery, my concern was with the one practical question: Where does power lie in this particular state of Great Britain, and how can it be attained by the workers? Aneurin Bevan was born on 15th November 1897 in Tredegar, Monmouthshire (now in Blaenau Gwent). He was the son of coal miner David Bevan and Phoebe (ne Prothero), a seamstress. Bevan died from stomach cancer in 1960 at the age of 62. full audio of Bevan's speech at the 4 November 1956 Trafalgar Square rally against British action in Suez. [7], Bevan became a well-known local orator and was seen by his employers, the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, as a troublemaker. 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. 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. Why this is so it is not difficult to understand, if you view everything from the angle of a strictly individualistic competitive society. Use the tabs above to learn about Nye Bevan's life, work and ideas, as well as the history of the NHS. He criticised figures such as Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George for their attitude towards workers rights, and as a result of his strong stance enjoyed consistent support from his constituency, and was one of few Labour MPs to be unopposed in the 1931 General Election. [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. 70 years of the NHS: How Aneurin Bevan created our beloved health Aneurin's name is pronounced 'uh-ny-rin'. Bevan was not academically sharp Aneurin Bevan with his eye on the Ball. 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. 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. Use the tabs aboveto learn about Nye Bevans life, work and ideas, as well as the history of the NHS. Bevan was elected unopposed as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 1959, succeeding Griffiths. Corrections? Aneurin had a stammer as a child which he would later overcome and be recognised as a great public speaker. Despite Bevan's criticism of the new party leader, Gaitskell decided to appoint him as Shadow Colonial Secretary,[109] and then Shadow Foreign Secretary in 1956. [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.