Aneurin Bevan’s personal security file was ‘remarkably tame’ - National Archives
Newly released National Archives files reveal that MI5 monitored Labour politician Aneurin Bevan for over two decades due to his communist associations. Despite the surveillance, security officials eventually concluded the files were remarkably tame.
Why it matters
This provides historical insight into the extent of state surveillance on prominent political figures during the mid-20th century in the UK.
Aneurin Bevan came to the attention of MI5 in the 1930s. Photograph: PA Aneurin Bevan came to the attention of MI5 in the 1930s. Photograph: PA Labour Aneurin Bevan’s personal security file was ‘remarkably tame’ – National Archives Some in UK’s security services questioned why Welsh Labour firebrand was of interest
Prefer the Guardian on Google Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, the Welsh Labour firebrand who spearheaded the creation of the NHS, was monitored by security services for more than two decades, though his personal file was “remarkably tame”, according to official files released to the public.
Bevan came to MI5’s attention in the 1930s over concerns about his links with known communists, papers released to the National Archives show. Monitoring continued even after he became a minister in the postwar Labour government that created the NHS.
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