Aneurin Bevan. Great Man?

Question

The architect of the NHS. A poor Welsh miner's son who had worked himself up to a position where he was able to implement change to help the less fortunate in Britain.

His achievements make me proud to be Welsh. Oh for politicians of his ilk today instead of the useless bunch of self serving greedy middle class glory hunters currently wasting our time and money in Westminster.

Your views on Bevan?

Answer 1

Sure was...but could it not be said now that his ideas would be pooh-pooh'd by ALL politicians today. Things indeed were different when Labour won it's landslide victory in 1945, and when he resigned from the government after the introduction of prescription charges for teeth & specs in the early fifties, that was the action of a great man. He knew the advantages of socialism, and realised what damage could be done if politicians attempted to halt the progress.
Would you feel the same pride if he came from, say, Carlisle (or, ahem...SW3)? And what about Neil Kinnock - okay, he was no Aneurin Bevan...but did the press at the time (circa 1980-85) attempt to have even your people - Welsh - sneer and snarl?

Answer 2

Bevan was a great man, to whom the people of this nation owe a great debt. I do believe that people today do not value what we have as a result of his vision and political clarity.
I do believe, however, that Ny would have difficulty understanding the ethics of politics today.
The NHS was a true wonder of its time. I don't think that is anything like his original vision now, except free at point of delivery. Everything else has had to evolve to keep up with an aging population, increase in cost and demand and I am fast thinking that the service we expect cannot be delivered for free much longer. Sad though it is.

Answer 3

I found that I disliked Bevan but he was a patriot through and through. Not mealy mouthed and above all a Great Man worthy of the respect he earned from both sides of the house. We could do with some more like him on both sides of the house. This lot are not fit to lick dog muck off his shoes

Answer 4

I think he was a great man for the above reason and for his defence of workers rights while PM. However later during his service he was not as strongly for Nuclear Disarmament and political neutrality us Vs USSR, as I would have liked. Nonetheless,he is like night and day when compared to Tony Blair. Labour has shifted from Labour to new Labour and now deserves a new name, The Neo Con Party. Bevan must be turning over in his grave now.

Answer 5

Probably was just an important man amongst the lower working class ,rather than a great man.

Although a principle element of the NHS development during his service in the Attlee government,in no way could he be described as the "architect"


Perhaps he could be considered noble for considering the needs of the less fortunate.However,I prefer to think that a politicans duty is the welfare of the population in its entirety.
Simply catering for a single social group at the expense of all others is damaging to society and the economy as a whole.
On that basis ,it could be said that the promise of the NHS was simply pandering to the demands of the working class for radical reform in order to steal power from the conservatives.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating as 'twere.
The NHS has proved itself to be an inefficient and costly burden upon our fragile economy.No one is content with the service it provides,not even the people who hoped to gain most from it.

Answer 6

A real conviction politician with a streak of pragmatism that got things done - and done well. The current generation of politicians could learn a lot from the man if they wished to.

Answer 7

Truly a great man,who no doubt is turning in his grave at what has become of his vision.

Answer 8

Definitely one of the greatest Labour politicians ever he would have buried this load of ****.