A black and white head and shoulders photo of Nye. He has short hair, with a side parting, and wears a suit, shirt and tie. He is looking at the camera with a serious expression. Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Papers show Aneurin Bevan first came to the attention of the security service in the 1930s

ByJames McCarthyBBC Wales
  • Published1 hour ago

NHS founder Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was spied on by MI5 for more than 20 years, according to newly released files.

Papers given to the National Archives show he first came to the attention of the security service in the 1930s when he was considered a firebrand left-winger linked to prominent communists.

Monitoring continued after Bevan, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, became a minister in the post-war Labour government when he drove through the creation of the NHS in the face of opposition from doctors.