History Extra podcast Aneurin Bevan: life of the week
Oct 13, 2025
Nye Davies, a lecturer at Cardiff University and expert on Welsh governance, delves into Aneurin Bevan's remarkable life. From his beginnings in the coalfields to his pivotal role in creating the NHS, Davies illustrates Bevan's unwavering commitment to social justice. He discusses Bevan's confrontations in Parliament, his strategic compromises with medical professionals, and the principles that shaped his leadership. Personal insights reveal Bevan's dynamic relationship with Jenny Lee and his passion for culture, providing a well-rounded portrait of a transformative figure in British history.
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From Coal Miner To National Reformer
- Aneurin Bevan rose from Tredegar coalfields to national politics, becoming MP in 1929 and Minister of Health in 1945.
- He combined trade-union roots with parliamentary strategy to enact large social reforms.
A Miner’s Poetic Household
- Bevan came from a large, religious nonconformist family with a miner father who wrote Welsh poetry.
- He left school at 13 and went down the mines at a young age, shaping his collectivist outlook.
Shaped By Early Working Life
- Early work as a butcher's boy and then a miner forged Bevan's identification with the working class.
- He described himself as a 'projectile discharged from the Welsh Valleys' aiming to change society.
