 With her formidable physique and outspoken manner , Braddock was a pugnacious presence in parliament , and a keen supporter of the 1945 – 51 Attlee ministry 's reform agenda , particularly the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948 . She served on Labour 's National Executive Committee between 1947 and 1969 . Her combative style led to a brief suspension from parliament in 1952 . For most of her parliamentary career she remained a member of Liverpool 's council , and was a central figure in the controversy that arose in the 1950s over the city 's decision to acquire and flood the Tryweryn Valley in Wales for the construction of a reservoir . 
