Aneurin Bevan’s personal security file was ‘remarkably tame’ – National Archives
Summary
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan, a key figure in creating the UK's National Health Service (NHS), was monitored by the British security service MI5 from the 1930s through the 1960s because of his connections to communists. Though he was watched for many years, the official files show there was little evidence of wrongdoing, and security officials found his file surprisingly uneventful.Key Facts
- MI5 began watching Bevan in 1933 due to concerns about his ties to known communists.
- Bevan was connected to Harry Pollitt, leader of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and supported workers’ groups.
- His friendship with Wilfred Macartney, convicted of spying for Russia, raised more MI5 concerns in 1949.
- MI5 leader Sir Percy Sillitoe warned Prime Minister Clement Attlee about Bevan's links but Attlee doubted the spy claims.
- Despite long-term surveillance, MI5 never taped Bevan’s phone or intercepted his mail.
- Officials later commented that Bevan’s file was "remarkably tame," showing little evidence of serious security threats.
- MI5 also monitored other suspected communists and left-wing activists before events like the 1937 coronation of King George VI.
- Composer Sir Michael Tippett was another person monitored for suspected communist ties during this period.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
