Opposition Aneurin Bevan

aneurin bevan speaking in corwen in 1952

bevan s last decade saw political position weaken year year failed find winning issue make use of skills.

in 1952 bevan published in place of fear, read socialist book of period, according highly critical right-wing labour mp anthony crosland. according times literary supplement book dithyramb meanderings many side-tracks of mr bevan s private , public experience. bevan begins: young miner in south wales colliery, concern 1 practical question: power lie in particular state of great britain, , how can attained workers?

in march 1952, poorly prepared bevan came off worse in evening commons debate on health conservative backbencher iain macleod: macleod s performance led churchill appoint him minister of health 6 weeks after debate bevan.

out of office, bevan exacerbated split within labour party between right , left. next 5 years, bevan leader of left wing of labour party, became known bevanites. criticised high defence expenditure (especially nuclear weapons), called better relations soviet union, , opposed party leader, attlee, on issues. according richard crossman bevan hated in-fighting have in politics.... wasn t cut out leader, cut out prophet. in 1954, gaitskell defeated bevan in hard fought contest treasurer of labour party. in march 1955, when britain preparing tests of first hydrogen bomb, bevan led revolt of 57 labour mps , abstained on key vote. parliamentary labour party voted 141 113 withdraw whip him, restored within month due popularity.

after 1955 general election, attlee retired leader. bevan contested leadership against both morrison , labour right-winger hugh gaitskell, gaitskell emerged victorious. bevan s remark know right kind of political leader labour party kind of desiccated calculating machine assumed refer gaitskell, although bevan denied (commenting upon gaitskell s record chancellor of exchequer having proved this). however, gaitskell prepared make bevan shadow colonial secretary, , shadow foreign secretary in 1956. bevan critical of egyptian dictator colonel nasser s seizure of suez canal on 26 july 1956 of subsequent anglo-french military response. compared nasser ali baba , forty thieves. vocal critic of conservative government s actions in suez crisis, noticeably delivering high-profile speeches in trafalgar square on 4 november 1956 @ protest rally, , criticising government s actions , arguments in commons on 5 december 1956. @ trafalgar rally, bevan accused government of policy of bankruptcy , despair . bevan stated @ trafalgar rally:

we stronger egypt there other countries stronger us. prepared accept ourselves logic applying egypt? if nations more powerful ourselves accept absence of principle, anarchistic attitude of eden , launch bombs on london, answer have got, complaint have got? if going appeal force, if force arbiter appeal, @ least make common sense try make sure beforehand have got it, if accept abysmal logic, decadent point of view.



we in fact in position today of having appealed force in case of small nation, if appealed against result in destruction of great britain, not nation, island containing living men , women. therefore anthony, british government, there no count @ upon can defended.



they have besmirched name of britain. have made ashamed of things of formerly proud. have offended against every principle of decency , there 1 way in can begin restore tarnished reputation , out! out! out!

that year, elected party treasurer, beating george brown.

bevan dismayed many of supporters when reversed opposition nuclear weapons. speaking @ 1957 labour party conference, decried unilateral nuclear disarmament, saying send british foreign secretary naked conference-chamber . statement misconstrued: bevan argued unilateralism result in britain s loss of allies, , 1 interpretation of metaphor nakedness come lack of allies, not lack of weapons. according journalist paul routledge, donald bruce, former mp , parliamentary private secretary , adviser bevan, had told him bevan s shift on disarmament issue result of discussions soviet government advised him push british retention of nuclear weapons possibly used bargaining chip in negotiations united states.

in 1957, bevan, richard crossman , labour party s general secretary morgan phillips sued spectator magazine libel, after 1 of writers described them drinking heavily during italian socialist party conference. article wrote 3 men:

...puzzled italians capacity fill tanks whisky , coffee... although italians never sure british delegation sober, attributed them immense political acumen.

the 3 won case, , collected financial damages: later, however, crossman acknowledge had perjured so.

in 1959, bevan elected deputy leader of labour party. in pain, checked hospital @ end of 1959 undergo surgery ulcer, malignant stomach cancer discovered instead. bevan died in sleep, @ 4.10pm on 6 july 1960, @ age of 62 @ home asheridge farm, chesham, buckinghamshire. remains cremated @ gwent crematorium in croesyceiliog.

his last speech in house of commons, in debate of 3 november 1959 on queen s speech, referred difficulties of persuading electorate support policy make them less well-off in short term more prosperous in long term.