It's difficult to imagine what could create the post war consensus surrounding welfare these days.
Take a look at this clip from Marr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lurGssKn7PA
The Liberal, Beveridge, features from about 7 mins in, but Marr also looks at the public school boy and WWI veteran (Gallipoli) who attempted put Beveridge's report into action, Clement Atlee. According to Churchill he was a "modest man with much to be modest about," but it was his government's legacy that had one of the biggest single impacts of any government on British society, and the one that Thatcher deemed worthy of a challenge. In various opinion polls he shares the top spot of 'greatest ever PM' with Churchill, Thatcher etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Prime_Ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom
