fbpx

KidsKonnect

Aneurin Bevan Facts & Worksheets

Aneurin Bevan was a social reformer and founder of the British National Health Service.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /People /Aneurin Bevan Facts & Worksheets
Premium
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Aneurin Bevan was a remarkable political figure and founder of the British National Health Service. A social reformer, activist, and one of the finest parliamentary speakers of his time, he also became the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party.

See the fact file below for more information on Aneurin Bevan, or you can download our 26-page Aneurin Bevan worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Aneurin Bevan

  • Aneurin “Nye” Bevan was a Welsh politician born on November 15, 1897. He died on July 6, 1960, leaving a significant legacy, namely the National Health Service.
  • 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 care across the UK regardless of wealth. He also took part in developing housing programs and contributed to the welfare system.
  • He was known to stand firm in his beliefs. During his time as Minister of Labour, he resigned as a sign of protest against the rearmament program.

Early Life

  • Aneurin “Nye” Bevan was born on 15 November 1897, in the town of Tredegar in southeastern Wales, in the United Kingdom. He was the son of David, a coal miner, and Phoebe Bevan, a seamstress and the sixth of 10 children. 
  • There was little other work in the town and Bevan followed his father and elder brother, who both worked in the mines. He was thirteen when he began to work at a local coal mine as a collier’s assistant.
  • Influenced by his father, who loved books and music, Bevan led an active life while he was working and became interested in history, economics, and politics, including Marxism.
  • At age 19, he also developed an interest in the activities of the trade unions and joined the Tredegar branch of the South Wales Miners’ Federation, becoming an activist and leader of the South Wales miners. However, despite a stammer, which he overcame, he developed into a great orator, delivering effective speeches, 
  • In 1914, times in the area were troubled, and while working, he experienced difficulties with his employers, who considered him a troublemaker. Despite this, he never wavered from his ideals, which led his employers to move him to a different working site, that because of its poor conditions, was considered a punishment.
  • In 1919, he was given a scholarship funded by the South Wales Miners’ Federation to study at the Central Labor College in London, where he focused on economics, politics, and history. He devoted time to studying Marxism, which influenced his left-wing political views.

The Beginning of Aneurin Bevan’s Political Life

  • When he returned from London in 1921, he struggled to find work in the coal mines. 
  • It was during his time of unemployment that he developed his political, speaking, and organizing skills. In 1925, his father, with whom he often spent time discussing his political aims and how he could achieve them, died of the miners’ disease pneumoconiosis. 
  • Seeing people at Tredegar struggle, Bevan, his brother, Billy Bevan and Walter Conway decided to create the Query Club. With Bevan as the leader, it was a political debating society aimed at members who needed help by collecting money weekly and breaking the power that the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company had in their town. 
  • Bevan still struggled to find a full-time job but was finally able to find work as a union official funded by members of the local Miners’ Lodge.
  • As a union official, he was the obvious choice for the Tredegar Miners to have as their chairman of the Council of Action in the 1926 General Strike. The strike happened because the mine owners wanted to reduce their wages.
  • Although it only lasted nine days, it was a long fight for the miners, and Bevan did his best to fight for them. Although there were few changes, the Council of Action was transformed into a Relief Committee that opened a feeding kitchen and fund-raising programs such as concerts, jazz bands, sports contests, and other activities in the town.

The National Health Service

  • He became a Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale as the Labour Party candidate. During his time in Parliament, he was often an advocate for the unemployed.
  • Aside from this, he strongly opposed the rearmament program. Bevan always believed that the two reasons for the defense program to be continued were, first, the maintenance of the life of the British people and second, the maintenance of the social services. Seeing that the government did not align with the two reasons, he resigned from his position.
  • In 1934, he married a fellow Member of Parliament, Jennie Lee, after they met in London. She became influential in Bevan’s political career as they shared similar viewpoints.
  • During the 1945 general election, the Labour Party was victorious. Clement Attlee, who was the new Prime Minister, appointed Bevan as Minister of Health; the post also included the housing program.
  • In 1948, as part of major social reforms following the Second World War, Bevan was assigned to create the National Health Service. He was inspired by the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, which started simply by employing a doctor and an assistant. It became so big that everyone at Tredegar contributed to the central fund.
  • A few problems occurred early on, such as the medical staff planning to withdraw their support months before its launch, but through Bevan’s hard work, he was able to win their support by allowing them to continue their private practices.

The Minister of Housing 

  • During the war, thousands of houses were destroyed, and Housing Reform became Bevan’s responsibility. The Ministry of Housing had a goal of building at least 700,000 new houses. In total, there were exactly 284,230 newly built houses from 1946 to 1948.
  • Bevan was usually in political opposition. He was known to be a harsh critic and often clashed with Clement Attlee, Winston Churchill, and Hugh Gaitskell, to name a few.

The Minister of Labour

  • After his work as Minister of Health and Housing was over, his next appointment was as Minister of Labour in 1951. His biggest contribution was bringing about an increase in pay for railway men.
  • A few months after his appointment, he resigned as a sign of protest against Hugh Gaitskell’s proposal to charge for dental and eyecare services. Bevan said that he would never be a member of a government that charged the National Health Service for patient care.

The Legacy of Aneurin Bevan

  • He was admitted to hospital for scheduled ulcer surgery, however, it was found to be stomach cancer, and he died on 6 July 1960.
  • His legacy lives on as the architect of the National Health Service. In 2002, he was voted the 45th greatest Briton by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). While in 2003, he was the first of the 100 Welsh Heroes. 
  • After his death, many paid tribute to his achievements. Although he had differences with other politicians, they regarded him with great respect. He was recognized for his public speaking and the way in which he stood by his principles. People around him described him as “the greatest speaker,” and “the best minister we have had.” Even Winston Churchill, who he often argued with, acknowledged Beven’s speaking skills by stating that Bevan was “one of the few people I will still sit and listen to.”
  • To commemorate his death, the Aneurin Bevan Memorial Stones were built at Ebbw Vale, United Kingdom.
  • It consists of four stones, the main one and three others symbolize Ebbw Vale, Rhymney, and Tredegar.

Aneurin Bevan Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Aneurin Bevan across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Aneurin Bevan, who was a social reformer and founder of the British National Health Service.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Aneurin Bevan Facts
  2. Bevan’s Biography
  3. Bevan’s People
  4. The Truth
  5. Lend a Hand
  6. Go Places!
  7. My Principles
  8. Let’s Dig!
  9. The Bevan Effect
  10. The National Health Service
  11. Member of Parliament

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Aneurin Bevan famous for?

Bevan, from South Wales, created the National Health Service after he saw how Tredegar Medical Aid Society helped his hometown. The NHS provides free medical care to everyone in the UK regardless of their wealth.

What political party did Aneurin Bevan belong to?

The Labour Party is a United Kingdom-based political party that typically supports social democracy, democratic socialism, and trade unionism. The Labour Party falls on the more liberal side of the political spectrum.

Why did Bevan leave the Labour Party?

Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Labour, said that he did not agree with charging people for dentures and spectacles. He thought it would be wrong and dangerous for the Labour Party to stop providing free dental and optical care.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Aneurin Bevan Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 3, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources