Wales needs a new Beveridge Report

Wales needs a new Beveridge Report

75 years on from the publication of the landmark Beveridge Report, the five “giant evils” of want, squalor, disease, ignorance and idleness remain widespread despite the report’s immense impact. Wales needs a new Beveridge Report for the 21^st Century to finish the job.

The Beveridge Report created the NHS and the modern welfare state, transforming education, housing and social security. The report’s recommendations were accepted by every party and led to substantially increased life expectancy, full employment and dramatically lower poverty across Britain.

However, across Wales and Britain the five giant evils highlighted by Beveridge remain substantial issues. Child poverty is increasing, health inequalities are growing, in-work poverty is now greater than out-of-work poverty and more and more households are relying on foodbanks, including nurses.

Commenting, Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds said;

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are rightly proud of our history and the role the great Liberal William Beveridge played in creating the modern welfare state. But we are not complacent, Beveridge’s work is far from finished and we will continue to fight for Wales to get the healthcare, housing, education and economy it needs.”

“Beveridge’s reforms worked because they were embraced and implemented by every party. Wales needs a new, cross-party and cross-society Beveridge Commission for the 21^st century. Together we can come up with the bold solutions needed to tackle poverty in this century the way Beveridge did last century.”