Ernest Bevin
| Ernest Bevin | |
|---|---|
|
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| Name | Ernest Bevin (9 May, 1881- 14 April, 1951) |
| Nicknames | Ernie (everyone) |
| Politics | |
| Party | Labour |
| Constituency | Wandsworth Central (1940-1951) |
| Positions | • Foreign Secretary (1945-1951) • Minister of Labour and National Service (1940-1945) |
| Likes | America, France |
| Dislikes | Jewish groups, Fascists, Soviets |
| Friends | Clement Attlee |
| Enemies | Nye Bevan, Herbert Morrison, Stafford Cripps |
| Relationships | |
| Partners | Married |
| Children | One daughter |
| Personal Attributes | |
| Nationality | English |
| Religion | Agnostic |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | ? |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Handedness | Right |
| Accent | Strong West Country |
This bullying, capricious, sasquatch of a politician.
Ernest Bevin was a wartime and austerity age politician who served in Cabinet under Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. He came from humble beginnings with little formal education, and became an orphan at the age of eight. He rose to prominence as general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), then Britain's largest Trade Union. He soon became an influential figure on the right wing of the Labour Party, at odds with major figures such as Ramsay MacDonald and Nye Bevan.
Life and Career[edit | edit source]
Early Life[edit | edit source]
Pre-political Career[edit | edit source]
Ernest was General Secretary of the TGWU from 1922 to 1945.
Pre-Cabinet[edit | edit source]
During the 1930s, he became increasingly politicised, forming strong anti-fascist sentiments and taking stances on British foreign policy, being highly critical of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Nazi Germany. He was fiercely loyal to his ally Clement Attlee, and affectionately named him "Little Clem". He gave Clem his staunch support, in particular against continual leadership threats (in 1935, 1945 and 1947) from his bête noir, Herbert Morrison.
As a Wartime Minister[edit | edit source]
Ernest would have caused a constitutional stir in the modern day - he was appointed to Churchill's Wartime Cabinet while he wasn't sitting in Parliament. He was hurriedly given an unopposed seat. Under the Defence Act, he became extremely powerful, having complete authority over Britain's workforce. As Minister for Labour, he sent nearly 50,000 military conscripts to work in the coal mines, and was considered a successful minister. With Clement Attlee and Herbert Morrison, he stood by Churchill to watch the V-E celebrations in Whitehall.
In Attlee's Ministry[edit | edit source]
In 1945, Bevin was appointed Foreign Secretary. Clement Attlee valued his support above that of all other ministers, and Ernest had a permanent seat opposite to the Prime Minister on the Cabinet table. He took a powerfully stances on every major issue of international relations post-War. He was anti-Soviet, pro-France, pro-America and was a major figure in the founding of NATO. He lacked ambitions for the British Empire, and presided over the 1947 withdrawal from India. His strongly anti-Israeli stances resulted in being labelled as Anti-Semetic, though he argued that his views were influenced by attacks on the British from extreme Zionist groups, such as Lehi and Irgun. His Palestinian policies were, however, considered a failure. In 1951, due to ill health, he resigned as Foreign Secretary, the job passing to his enemy, Herbert Morrison, and became Lord Privy Seal, commenting "I am neither a Lord, nor a privy, nor a seal".
| Full List of Appointments |
|---|
| • Minister of Labour and National Service (1940-1945) |
| • Foreign Secretary (1945-1951) |
Personal Life[edit | edit source]
According to Chris Bryant, Bevin used to use poppers and would even take them while sitting around the Cabinet table.
Appearance and Character[edit | edit source]
Bevin was a physically enormous and unfortunately ugly man, and came across as a bully. He had a strong West Country accent, and became a great orator, rearing up mightily as he addressed a crowd. In the words of his fellow Labour MP William Brown, "His heavy, bullish frame, his rough and uncouth English, his blunt style of speech all combine to make a very powerful performance."
Portrayal[edit | edit source]
In the Media[edit | edit source]
In Culture[edit | edit source]
In Fanon[edit | edit source]
Meme[edit | edit source]
As of September 2011, Ernest has been paired with Clement Attlee, due to his unwavering loyalty and protectiveness towards the Prime Minister. His animosity towards Herbert Morrison is also noteworthy. Allegedly, when it was remarked that Herbert Morrison was his own worst enemy, Ernest responded with "Not while I'm alive he's not!".
