LSE festival Beveridge 2.0 preview: the five giants by Nicholas Timmins

On Monday 19 February, LSE Festival opened with ‘The Five Giants and the Ministers Who Made a Difference’. Chaired by LSE Director Minouche Shafik, Nicholas Timmins, author of The Five Giants: A Biography of the Welfare State, and Professor Sir Julian Le Grand debated the key UK politicians who really made a difference when it came to Beveridge’s ‘Five Giants’: listen to the podcast here. Ahead of the event, Nicholas Timmins gives insight into the reception and impact of Beveridge’s 1942 report, as well as its enduring significance in today’s global, 21st-century context.