Jim Griffiths facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Griffiths
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| Secretary of State for Wales | |
| In office 18 October 1964 – 5 April 1966 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Wilson |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Cledwyn Hughes |
| Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 2 February 1956 – 4 May 1959 |
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| Leader | Hugh Gaitskell |
| Preceded by | Herbert Morrison |
| Succeeded by | Aneurin Bevan |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 28 February 1950 – 26 October 1951 |
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| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Arthur Creech Jones |
| Succeeded by | Oliver Lyttelton |
| Minister of National Insurance | |
| In office 27 July 1945 – 28 February 1950 |
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| Prime Minister | Clement Attlee |
| Preceded by | Leslie Hore-Belisha |
| Succeeded by | Edith Summerskill |
| Member of Parliament for Llanelli |
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| In office 5 April 1936 – 18 June 1970 |
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| Preceded by | John Henry Williams |
| Succeeded by | Denzil Davies |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 September 1890 Betws, Carmarthenshire |
| Died | 7 August 1975 (aged 84) Teddington, Greater London |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Winifred Rutley |
James (Jeremiah) Griffiths (19 September 1890 – 7 August 1975) was a very important Welsh Labour Party politician. He was also a leader for workers in trade unions. He made history as the first ever Secretary of State for Wales.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jim Griffiths was born in a village called Betws in Carmarthenshire, Wales. This village was mostly Welsh-speaking. He was the youngest of ten children. His father, William Griffiths, worked as a blacksmith. Jim didn't speak English until he was five years old.
He went to Betws Board School. When he was 13, he left school to work in a coal mine called Ammanford No. 1 colliery. He later became the secretary for the miners' group there. Jim believed in pacifism, which means he was against war. While campaigning against World War I, he met Winifred Rutley, and they got married in 1918. His brother, David Rees Griffiths, was a Welsh poet.
Starting in Politics
Jim Griffiths kept learning by going to night school. He became very interested in socialism, which is a political idea about fairness for everyone. In 1908, he helped start a local group of the Independent Labour Party in Ammanford. He quickly became its secretary.
From 1916 to 1919, he was the secretary of the Ammanford Trades Council, which was a powerful group for workers. When he was 29, he left the mine. He got a special scholarship for miners to study at the Central Labour College in London from 1919 to 1921. Other important Labour politicians like Aneurin Bevan also studied there.
A Career in Public Service
After his studies, Jim Griffiths worked for the Labour Party in Llanelli from 1922 to 1925. Then, he worked for the Anthracite Miners' Association from 1925 to 1936. He also became the President of the powerful South Wales Miners' Federation in West Wales from 1934 to 1936.
In 1936, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Llanelli. This was a safe seat for Labour, meaning it was very likely they would win there. Three years later, he joined the Labour Party's National Executive Committee.
In 1942, Jim Griffiths led 97 Labour MPs to vote against their own party's leaders. This was about the Beveridge Report, which suggested creating a full welfare state in Britain after the war. A welfare state means the government helps people with things like healthcare and money if they can't work. This vote showed that Labour really supported helping people, and it made them more popular.
Building the Welfare State
After the Labour Party won the 1945 general election, Prime Minister Clement Attlee made Jim Griffiths a Privy Counsellor and the Minister for National Insurance. In this important job, he helped create the modern system of state benefits in the UK.
He introduced several important laws:
- The Family Allowances Act 1945
- The National Insurance Act 1946
- The National Assistance and Industrial Injuries Act 1948
These laws were a big part of building the British welfare state, which helps people with money, healthcare, and support. Jim Griffiths and Aneurin Bevan were key figures in making this happen.
Jim Griffiths was also the Chairman of the Labour Party from 1948 to 1949. In 1950, he became the Secretary of State for the Colonies. However, the Labour Party lost power just two years later.
Years in Opposition and New Roles
While the Labour Party was not in power, Jim Griffiths became the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1955 to 1959. He also spoke for the party on Welsh issues. He worked with Hugh Gaitskell to get the Labour Party to agree to give more power to Wales, a process called devolution.
During the Suez Crisis in 1956, Jim Griffiths gave a powerful speech. He spoke against the actions of the Prime Minister at the time, Anthony Eden. He said it was "a black and tragic week" and "an unjustifiable and wicked war." Many people felt the same way.
First Secretary of State for Wales
Jim Griffiths had wanted a Secretary of State for Wales since the 1930s. So, when Harold Wilson became Prime Minister after the 1964 general election, he asked Jim Griffiths to delay his retirement. Jim agreed and became the very first Secretary of State for Wales.
He set up the Welsh Office, which is the main government department for Wales. He created the basic structure for this important role. After the 1966 general election, he stepped down from this role and became a regular MP again. He was also given the special honour of being a Companion of Honour.
Even though he was not well, Jim Griffiths stayed in the House of Commons until 1970. He was worried that if he left, Labour might lose the election in Llanelli. A Welsh nationalist party called Plaid Cymru had won a nearby seat in 1966. The famous Llanelli Rugby coach, Carwyn James, was ready to run for Plaid Cymru if Jim Griffiths had retired.
Jim Griffiths was replaced in Llanelli by Denzil Davies, who successfully kept the seat for Labour. In 1969, Jim Griffiths wrote his autobiography, a book about his own life, called Pages From Memory.
Later Life and Legacy
Jim Griffiths passed away in Teddington, Greater London, when he was 84 years old. He had two sons and two daughters. He is buried in Ammanford.
Jim Callaghan, who later became Prime Minister, spoke at Jim Griffiths' memorial. He called him "one of the greatest sons of Wales." He said that Ammanford, his birthplace, was the place that truly shaped his life and actions.
