Henry Willink
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet PC
, MC
, KC
(7 March 1894 – 20 July 1973), was a British
politician
and public servant.
He is best known for his service in the Conservative Party
as Minister of Health
from 1943-1945 in the wartime Coalition Government of the United Kingdom
. He proposed many of the bases of the National Health Service
later taken up by the Labour Party
.
and educated at Eton College
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. Before he could take his Cambridge degree he volunteered for service in the Royal Field Artillery
during the First World War. When only 22, Willink commanded a battery at the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Willink received the Military Cross
and the Croix de Guerre
. Post-war, he was called to the Bar
by the Inner Temple
in 1920, was appointed to the rank of King's Counsel
in 1935 and became a Bencher
in 1942.
(MP) for Croydon North
in a wartime by-election on 19 June 1940
. There was only one other candidate, an independent, who received a very small vote.
In 1940 he was appointed Special Commissioner for the homeless in London
.
Willink was made a Privy Counsellor
in 1943, the year he became Minister of Health
. Willink served in this role until the Conservatives lost the 1945 general election
. He, with John Hawton, was responsible for the 1944 White Paper
, following the Beveridge
Report, called A National Health Service. It proposed the creation of a fully comprehensive, universal healthcare system, free of charge and available to all citizens irrespective of means.
When Labour came into office in 1945, they presented their own plan in preference to Willink's, although they had supported it up until that point. The principal difference was that Willink's plan talked of a "publicly organised" rather than a "publicly provided" service, whereas Labour's plan brought hospitals into full national ownership. Bevan
did however make concessions to General practitioner
s.
Willink kept his seat at the 1945 general election
by just 607 votes from Labour's Marion Billson. Labour's David Rees-Williams
had taken the other Croydon seat. It was rumoured that Billson lost because sacks of servicemen's votes were left uncounted in the Town Hall basement. Willink resigned from Parliament on 29 January 1948, and the subsequent by-election
was resoundingly won by Conservative Fred Harris against high-profile candidates.
, a post he held until 1966. From 1953 until 1955 he was also Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He chaired the steering committee leading to the formation of the Royal College of General Practitioners
, starting 1952. Willink was later to describe his role as Chairman of that Steering Committee as "one of the very best projects with which I have ever been involved in my life." In 1957 Willink served as Chairman of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Future Numbers of Medical Practitioners and Intakes of Medical Students. The committee concluded that too many doctors were being trained and proposed a 12% reduction. This was soon realised to be a misjudgement. From 1955 to 1971 he held the office of Dean of Arches
, the senior ecclesiastical judge of England.
He was made a Baronet, of Dingle Bank in the City of Liverpool, in 1957, and was awarded an honorary LLD by the University of Melbourne
in 1955. His papers are held at Churchill College, Cambridge
.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, KC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(7 March 1894 – 20 July 1973), was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and public servant.
He is best known for his service in the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
as Minister of Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
from 1943-1945 in the wartime Coalition Government of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He proposed many of the bases of the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
later taken up by the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
Early Life and Wartime Service
Willink was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. Before he could take his Cambridge degree he volunteered for service in the Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
during the First World War. When only 22, Willink commanded a battery at the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Willink received the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. Post-war, he was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
by the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1920, was appointed to the rank of King's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1935 and became a Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
in 1942.
Political career
Willink was elected as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Croydon North
Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon North is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in a wartime by-election on 19 June 1940
Croydon North by-election, 1940
The Croydon North by-election, 1940 was a parliamentary by-election held in the British House of Commons constituency of Croydon North on 19 June 1940. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament Glyn Mason had resigned...
. There was only one other candidate, an independent, who received a very small vote.
In 1940 he was appointed Special Commissioner for the homeless in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Willink was made a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1943, the year he became Minister of Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
. Willink served in this role until the Conservatives lost the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
. He, with John Hawton, was responsible for the 1944 White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
, following the Beveridge
William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge KCB was a British economist and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services which served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.Lord...
Report, called A National Health Service. It proposed the creation of a fully comprehensive, universal healthcare system, free of charge and available to all citizens irrespective of means.
When Labour came into office in 1945, they presented their own plan in preference to Willink's, although they had supported it up until that point. The principal difference was that Willink's plan talked of a "publicly organised" rather than a "publicly provided" service, whereas Labour's plan brought hospitals into full national ownership. Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
did however make concessions to General practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
s.
Willink kept his seat at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
by just 607 votes from Labour's Marion Billson. Labour's David Rees-Williams
David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore
David Rees Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore, PC, TD was a Welsh politician.Rees-Williams was born in Bridgend, Wales. He qualified as a solicitor in 1929 and married and had three children...
had taken the other Croydon seat. It was rumoured that Billson lost because sacks of servicemen's votes were left uncounted in the Town Hall basement. Willink resigned from Parliament on 29 January 1948, and the subsequent by-election
Croydon North by-election, 1948
The Croydon North by-election, 1948 was a parliamentary by-election held in the British House of Commons constituency of Croydon North on 11 March 1948...
was resoundingly won by Conservative Fred Harris against high-profile candidates.
Public service
Willink continued to serve in public positions. In 1948, he was appointed Master of Magdalene College, CambridgeMagdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
, a post he held until 1966. From 1953 until 1955 he was also Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He chaired the steering committee leading to the formation of the Royal College of General Practitioners
Royal College of General Practitioners
The Royal College of General Practitioners is the professional body for general practitioners in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including licensing, education, training, research and clinical standards. It is the largest of the medical royal colleges, with...
, starting 1952. Willink was later to describe his role as Chairman of that Steering Committee as "one of the very best projects with which I have ever been involved in my life." In 1957 Willink served as Chairman of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Future Numbers of Medical Practitioners and Intakes of Medical Students. The committee concluded that too many doctors were being trained and proposed a 12% reduction. This was soon realised to be a misjudgement. From 1955 to 1971 he held the office of Dean of Arches
Dean of Arches
The Dean of Arches is the judge who sits at the ecclesiastical court of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. This appeal court is commonly called the Arches Court....
, the senior ecclesiastical judge of England.
He was made a Baronet, of Dingle Bank in the City of Liverpool, in 1957, and was awarded an honorary LLD by the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1955. His papers are held at Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.In 1958, a Trust was established with Sir Winston Churchill as its Chairman of Trustees, to build and endow a college for 60 fellows and 540 Students as a national and Commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill; its...
.