The Official Website
This site features David Owen’s views on current issues but is not a full archive. His official papers—covering his time in Government, the SDP, and as EU Co-Chair on Yugoslavia—are held at the University of Liverpool, where he was Chancellor (1996–2009). They’re available in the Library’s Special Collections.
David Owen can be contacted at office@davidowen.uk. He prefers not to use the title ‘Lord’ having retired from the House …
Not enough people … realise that what took place in San Francisco in 1945 was a triumph for international diplomacy and the fact that there has been no World War III owes a great deal to the successes of the UN. We must NOT allow President Trump to ride roughshod over its record and achievements.
Read the full speech here: https://www.lorddavidowen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Oxford-Speech.pdf
“…it is totally unacceptable for NATO members to not even meet and discuss the imminent [danger of US withdrawal] from NATO. Also to discuss what action NATO can take to secure the Strait of Hormuz … as it did over Afghanistan. …It is inconceivable that America should withdraw without NATO collectively discussing their complaints…. READ THE FULL RELEASE:…
Press release, 2 April 2026:
NATO‘s own procedures respect the role of …
“As the transatlantic alliance is no longer the safe bet Atlanticists thought it was, Europe has no other option than to become more self-sufficient…. It means redesigning European economies [to] carry the weight of increased investment in security….”
Read the full paper here
“The priority now is for Europe to stay relevant economically and militarily. A Europe that brings capability to the table is less likely to be disregarded.”
Paper
“The US can afford to ignore the views of other Nato members. Can Britain?”
New Statesman, 11 January 2026.
“Every now and then in Britain’s relationship with America there come moments when the British government must stand its ground. What happens to Greenland has been correctly defined by Keir Starmer as one of these moments. Now that the Donald Trump White House appears to be considering the use of military …
Press release, 28 July 2025. It is refreshing and indicative that the UK is still operating militarily worldwide as an independent country. That is the message Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, was emphasising when being photographed on Monday in Australian waters on the flight deck of Britain’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales accompanied by Penny Wong, the Australian Foreign Minister. It is the first time this has been done for …
Monday 12 May 2025.
At a joint meeting with Hubert Vedrine, former French Foreign Minister. La Maison Centralesupelec, 75008 Paris
“It is Europe refusing to pay for our own defence who have kept America dominant within NATO… That was a grievous error that must never be repeated
“…Europe (must become) become NATO’s biggest element in manpower and finance… (and develop) mechanisms to allow independent conventional action including nuclear without the …
Programme aired on BBC Radio 5, 2 April 2025.
Listen to Lord Owen’s segment here
He discusses a range of topics including world affairs under the Trump presidency; NATO, Ukraine and Russia; the need, from a security perspective, for the UK to “be more European”; and defence spending. Lord Owen also touches on the current electoral scene with the rise of Reform and the need for some form of proportional …