Henry Willink

The Right Honourable Sir Henry Willink MC,QC
Willink in 1948
Minister of Health
In office 1943–1945
Preceded by	Ernest Brown
Succeeded by	Aneurin Bevan
Member of Parliament forCroydon North
In office 19 June 1940 – 29 January 1948
Preceded by	Glyn Mason
Succeeded by	Fred Harris
Personal details
Born	Henry Willink (1894-03-07)7 March 1894 Liverpool,Lancashire
Died	20 July 1973(1973-07-20)(aged 79)
Political party	Conservative

Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet,MC,PC,QC(7 March 1894 – 20 July 1973) was a Britishpoliticianandpublic servant.AConservativeMember of Parliament from 1940, he becameMinister of Healthin 1943.During his time in power he was appointed Special Commissioner for those made homeless by theLondon Blitzand was involved with the production of theBeveridge Report.

The details of the report proposed a comprehensive free healthcare system, this led to thewhite paperA National Health Service,published in 1944, suggesting the creation of such a service, which did not include the nationalisation of hospitals.Such a policy was later implemented by theLabour Partythrough the creation of theNational Health Servicewhich differed from the proposals suggested by Willink.At the time he claimed the nationalisation ofvoluntary hospitals"will destroy so much in this country that we value".

Early life and wartime service

Willink was born inLiverpool.He was educated as aKing's ScholaratEton College,where he won theNewcastle Scholarshipin 1912, and atTrinity College, Cambridge.Before he could take his Cambridge degree, he volunteered for service in theRoyal Field Artilleryduring theFirst World War.When aged only 22, Willink commanded a battery at the 1916Battle of the Somme.Willink received theMilitary Crossand theCroix de Guerre.Post-war, he wascalled to the Barby theInner Templein 1920, was appointed to the rank ofKing's Counselin 1935 and became aBencherin 1942.

Political career

Willink was elected asMember of Parliament(MP) forCroydon Northin a wartimeby-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 inLondon.

Willink was made aprivy counsellorin 1943, the year he becameMinister of Health,a role in which he served until the Conservatives lost the1945 general election.Willink, withJohn Hawton,was responsible for the 1944White Paper,following theBeveridge Report,calledA 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, it presented its own plan in preference to Willink's, which it had supported. The principal difference was that Willink's plan talked of a "publicly organised" rather than a "publicly provided" service, and Labour's plan brought hospitals into full national ownership. Willink's successorNye Bevan,however, made concessions toGeneral practitioners.

Willink kept his seat at the1945 general electionby just 607 votes over Labour'sMarion Billson.Turnout was low and there were rumours of sacks of servicemen's votes left uncounted in the Town Hall basement. Labour'sDavid Rees-Williams - later Baron Ogmore- had takenthe other Croydon seat.

Willink resigned from Parliament on 29 January 1948, and thesubsequent by-electionwas won resoundingly by ConservativeFred Harris,with a majority of almost 12,000 votes, despite a ballot of high-profile candidates.

Public service

In1938Willink stood as a Conservative in Ipswich to replace the incumbent MPJohn Ganzoni,but lost toRichard Stokes.

Willink continued to serve in public positions. In 1948, he was appointedMasterofMagdalene College, Cambridge,a post he held until 1966. From 1953 until 1955 he was alsoVice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.He chaired the steering committee leading to the formation of theRoyal College of General Practitioners,starting in 1952. Willink later described 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. That was soon realised to be a misjudgement.From 1955 to 1971, he held the office ofDean of Arches,the senior ecclesiastical judge of England.

He was made abaronet,of Dingle Bank in the City of Liverpool, in 1957, and was awarded an honoraryLLDby theUniversity of Melbournein 1955. His papers are held atChurchill College, Cambridge.

Arms

Coat of arms of Henry Willink

Crest Issuant from a wreath of oak leaves Or a dexter cubit arm bendwise grasping in the hand a chaplet of laurel Proper. Escutcheon Azure three acorns on one stem slipped Or. Motto Fides Et Amo

References

• Papers of Sir Henry Willink
• Portrait of Willinkin theNational Portrait Gallery, London.

External links

• Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Sir Henry Willink