As of today (2 September 2024) Lord Owen has retired from the House of Lords. Given the new Government’s manifesto commitment to reform the House of Lords both in terms of hereditary Peers and retirement age, Lord Owen at the age of 86 is happy to voluntarily retire believing that the House of Lords is in need of serious reform to become a much more democratic chamber.…
Browsing Category General
David Owen comments on the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry report.
“As Minister of Health I announced to Parliament on 22 January 1975 the policy of achieving self-sufficiency in blood products to remove the reliance on imported blood products which ran the risk of having come from dubious donors from other countries, in particular America’s ‘skid row’, who had been paid to donate. I authorised the allocation of special finance to bring about self-sufficiency which I was assured could be achieved …
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Lord Owen wins Foreign Secretary’s assurance of support for Ukraine
House of Lords: Foreign Secretary’s Questions, 12 March 2024. Full exchange here.
Lord Owen: Can (the Foreign Secretary) assure us that manufacturing in this country of weapons & munitions for Ukraine will be stepped up considerably over the next few weeks & months? Lord Cameron: I think I can give that undertaking…The Government are fully aware that we need to step up production, not just for Ukraine but to… …
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Infected blood compensation: “no more ducking and weaving.”
Lord Owen discussing a Victims and Prisoners Bill amendment dealing with compensation for victims of infected blood. House of Lords, 26 February 2024.
“…there can be no more ducking and weaving, and no more appeals from the Chancellor to delay it for another year or anything like that. This time, we have to honour it—and we have to do it this year.”
Read the full text here…
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Extended podcast interview: David Owen on the upcoming election and current geopolitical crises. “The political duopoly is failing.”
Extended interview on ‘The News Agents’ podcast of 19 January 2024 (42 mins), plus related Press Release.
Read the associated press release here: Lord Owen Upcoming Election Press Release
Listen on the Global Player platform (sign in required) here: Lord Owen Interview Global Player
Or listen on Apple Podcasts, here: LordOwen Interview Apple
“The writing is on the wall for the two party alternation of power between Labour and the
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David Owen speaks out about the strike against the Houthis.
‘Is the UK right to strike Houthi Rebels in Yemen? Former Foreign Secretary assesses the dilemma’. Interview broadcast on GB News 12 January 2024. View it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D07ZliyGbO4
“…the free navigation of shipping … is an integral part of a civilized world and you can’t allow this to be changed by the actions of countries acting under the influence of Iran..”
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Introduction to the topic of Hubris Syndrome:
In 2011 Lord Owen was instrumental in establishing a charitable trust, the Daedalus Trust (www.daedalustrust.com) with the aim of promoting research into personality changes associated with the exercise of power amongst leaders in all walks of life. The name for the Trust was chosen because of Daedalus’s combination of risk-taking tempered by wisdom.
The Trust increased awareness of this important leadership and governance issue and supported research that
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Ukraine: Once again, we must recognise that appeasement never works.
Lord Owen addressing the House of Lords, 21 September 2023. Read the full speech here
“…We should never forget that we are talking about the second invasion of Ukraine. There was a first invasion, in relation to which we performed lamentably. Once again, we must recognise that appeasement never works. Now that we face this situation, we in Europe must not equivocate…
“The spirit is there in this country, the