In July 1948, just as the National Health Service was coming into being, Aneurin Bevan delivered a speech in which he declared that the Conservatives were “lower than vermin”. But rather than take offence, thousands of Tories decided to embrace the insult - and the Vermin Club was born. In this episode of Since Attlee & Churchill, Richard and Lee explore the curious history of a political organisation that attracted as many as 120,000 members, including a young Margaret Thatcher. Why did Bevan make his infamous attack? How did the Conservatives turn his words into a badge of honour? And why was the Tory leadership so reluctant to embrace a movement that seemed to have captured the imagination of its own supporters?
The following books are mentioned in this episode:
'Huntingtower' by John Buchan. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780199537860
'Fruit Fly' by Josh Silver. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781836431473
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