Event to commemorate Wales’ ‘forgotten’ architect of the welfare state

Martin Shipton

Fifty years after the death of Llanelli MP Jim Griffiths – a man described as “one of the greatest sons of Wales” – a special memorial event will be held in the town.

The politician, who has been hailed as the founding father of the welfare state, became the first Secretary of State for Wales.

To honour the man responsible for the giant Trostre tinplate works being built in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire and Llanelli town councillor Janet Williams is spearheading the event.

‘Legend’

“Jim Griffiths is a legend and a hero of mine,” she said. “Everyone knows about Nye Bevan creating the National Health Service but it is a great shame that too few today know about Jim, who was called the architect of the welfare state.”

Griffiths was the MP for Llanelli for 34 years and the special anniversary event to celebrate his life will be held at Llanelly House in Vaughan Street on Thursday, August 7, from 10am to 4pm. It will be 50 years to the day since his death at the age of 84.

The free event will give people the chance to learn more about a former coal miner who became a leading Cabinet member in Clement Atlee’s post-war Labour government.

Appointed Minister for National Insurance, he introduced the Family Allowances Act 1945, the National Insurance Act 1946 and the National Assistance and Industrial Injuries Act 1948.

Apart from building up a huge national profile and long list of achievements, Griffiths was instrumental in helping create jobs in Llanelli, winning the fight for the Trostre Works to come to the town after a huge struggle.

He also used his good relationship with Hugh Gaitskell, Attlee’s successor as Labour leader, to commit the party to a degree of devolution.

Suez Crisis

In 1956, amid the Suez Crisis, Griffiths made an important speech opposing the underhanded tactics of the then Prime Minister Anthony Eden in which he stated: “This is for our country a black and tragic week … an unjustifiable and wicked war.”

His speech was lauded at the time as summing up the mood of the nation.

Having campaigned tirelessly for a Secretary of State for Wales since the 1930s, Prime Minister Harold Wilson persuaded him to delay retirement and become the first holder of the post in 1964.

Born near Ammanford in Betws, the youngest of 10 children, Griffiths left school at 13 to work underground in the Ammanford No. 1 colliery, where his early experiences fuelled his passion for social justice and dedication to the Labour movement.

“He was a chapel-goer and a pacifist, and became a statesman and a gentleman, not brash like some politicians.’”said Cllr Williams. “He got things done.”

In 1908 Griffiths established the Independent Labour Party branch in Ammanford, before serving as Secretary of the Ammanford Trades Council.

Having worked as Labour Party agent in Llanelli Mr Griffiths went on to become President of the South Wales Miners’ Federation, before being elected Labour MP for Llanelli in 1936.

He served the people of the constituency until 1970, when he retired, to be succeeded by Labour’s Denzil Davies.

Cllr Williams said: “He served his constituency and his country with distinction.

“There is so much to admire about him. He didn’t have to be horrible to get things done.”

Eluned Morgan

First Minister Eluned Morgan will be one of the keynote speakers at the event following an invitation from Cllr Williams.

“She jumped at the chance,” said Cllr Williams. “His place in this country’s history and the struggle to help ordinary people has been largely forgotten. But where would we be now without him?

“He deserves a monument in Llanelli. There are mementoes in Ammanford Library, but when you consider it was Jim Callaghan, who went on to be Prime Minister, speaking at Mr Griffiths’ memorial address, who described him as ‘one of the greatest sons of Wales’, it shows the esteem he was held in at the time.”