Remembering Jim Griffiths: The Collier Who Built Britain’s Welfare State and Fought for Wales

First Minister Eluned Morgan has paid tribute to the late Jim Griffiths, Llanelli’s Labour MP credited with creating Britain’s modern social security system — a model once described as “the envy of the civilised world.”

At a commemorative event at Llanelly House, marking 50 years since Griffiths’s passing, the FM unveiled a plaque at Llanelli Library in his honour. The event was attended by Llanelli MP Nia Griffiths, Labour councillors, and party members.

Griffiths, a former collier from Betws, was Wales’s first Secretary of State and a leading voice for devolution. He was also responsible for introducing Family Allowance — the precursor to today’s Child Benefit.

“His Values Are Alive Today”

Speaking at the event, the FM said:

“He may be gone, but what he stood for, what he fought for, what he achieved, is as alive today as it ever was.”

She suggested Griffiths would be “frustrated” by modern challenges such as child poverty, homelessness, and housing affordability, noting that these issues persist “in one of the richest countries in the world.”

Labour’s Guiding Principles

Morgan reminded the audience that the Labour Party remains committed to the same values Griffiths championed:

• Solidarity – “We’re stronger together than when we’re apart. Your struggles are my struggles. Your success is my success.”

• Equality – “Not just equality of opportunity — though that’s important — but real equality. The chance for everyone to have a good life, regardless of who their parents are or where they come from.”

• Community – “Understanding that we need each other, that we have responsibilities to our neighbours, to our communities, to future generations.”

• Hope – “The belief that things can be better. That politics matters. That ordinary people, working together, can change the world.”

Challenges for a New Generation

The FM urged the audience to stay committed in the face of climate change, an ageing population, and the ongoing impact of Brexit:

“Jim showed us that you can be idealistic and practical at the same time. That you can have your roots in your local community and still have a vision for the whole world.”

She concluded with a call to action:

“The boy from Betws who went down the pit and came up fighting would be proud of what we’ve achieved. But he’d also challenge us to do more, to be better, to never give up the fight for a fairer, more equal Wales.”

Call for a Permanent Memorial

The commemoration has renewed calls for Llanelli and Ammanford to create a lasting tribute to Griffiths.

Deputy Mayor of Ammanford Calum Higgins said:

“Ammanford and Llanelli were once linked as a parliamentary constituency, and shared Jim Griffiths as their MP.
He came from the working community of Ammanford and Betws, working his way through the local trade union movement to represent his community at a national level.
Carmarthen have honoured Gwynfor Evans in recent years, in a way we in Ammanford and Llanelli should have done for Jim Griffiths.”

Higgins said the Llanelly House event gave Labour Party members “the opportunity to think what more we could do to honour his legacy in the modern day.”

Ideas for Honouring His Legacy

Llanelli Town Councillor Shaun Greaney called Griffiths “a forgotten hero,” adding:

“Everyone knows Nye Bevan was the founder of the NHS, but few know the story of Jim Griffiths. A plaque at Llanelli Library is a good start, but a memorial of greater prominence would be fantastic.”

Greaney suggested a mural featuring Griffiths and local landmarks, declaring Llanelli the “cradle of devolution.” He said such a mural should be placed on a prominent building where it would be widely seen.

County Councillor Janet Williams, who organised the library plaque, said:

“Jim was a progressive politician and played the major part in the Trostre tinplate works being built in Llanelli. He was a man of principle, and a man of the people.”