Bevan, Aneurin

(born Nov. 15, 1897, Tredegar, Monmouthshire, Eng.—died July 6, 1960, Chesham, Buckinghamshire) British politician. As a young man, he entered Labour Party politics and was elected to the House of Commons in 1929. He overcame a speech impediment to become a brilliant orator. As minister of health in Clement Attlee's government (1945–51), “Nye” Bevan established the National Health Service. He was minister of labour (1951) but resigned in protest against rearmament expenditures that reduced spending on social programs. A controversial figure in the Labour Party, he headed its left-wing (Bevanite) group and was the party's leader until 1955.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica