Son of a Welsh miner, and himself a miner at 13, he became member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale 1929-60. As minister of health 1945-51, he inaugurated the National Health Service (NHS); he was minister of labour Jan-April 1951, when he resigned (with Harold Wilson) on the introduction of NHS charges and led a Bevanite faction against the government. In 1956 he became chief Labour spokesperson on foreign affairs, and deputy leader of the Labour party 1959. He was an outstanding speaker.
