Beveridge revisited: Simon Callow film celebrates the radical co-founder of Britain’s welfare state
Summary
A new film called The Man With the Plan stars Simon Callow as William Beveridge, a key figure behind Britain’s postwar welfare system. The film explores Beveridge’s bold ideas to fight social problems like poverty, disease, and unemployment, and it is being shown across the UK in community spaces.Key Facts
- William Beveridge wrote a 1942 report that laid the foundation for Britain’s welfare state after World War II.
- Beveridge identified five major social problems: want (poverty), disease, squalor (poor housing), idleness (unemployment), and ignorance.
- More than 650,000 copies of Beveridge’s report were sold when it was published.
- The film features a young character named Flea who meets people representing these social issues and their opponents.
- Beveridge’s views are spoken exactly from his report by actor Simon Callow in the film.
- The film was created by Christine Edzard and Olivier Stockman at Sands Films Studio in London.
- Experts, including Professor Sir Michael Marmot, support Beveridge’s ideas as necessary today.
- The film encourages viewers to think of the state as the people themselves, rather than distant powers or corporations.
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