“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 …
Lord Owen on the Infected Blood Inquiry report: Sky News interview
Lord Owen discusses the report of the Infected Blood Inquiry. Watch it here: Sky News interview…
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Sunak & Macron should meet to discuss nuclear targeting strategies in Europe
Lord Owen to Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron: “(would it not) be a very good thing if the French & British Heads of Government met to discuss their own targeting strategies to their nuclear weapons in Europe & give some guidance to the Russians about (British-French) attitudes to (Russia’s) constant invocation of nuclear weapons being used in Ukraine?”
View Lord Owen’s full question, & Lord Cameron’s response, here: read the
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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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Minimising nuclear targeting overlaps would enhance UK-France deterrence.
Lord Owen addressing u3a meeting, Hungerford, 12 March 2024. Full speech here.
“..my normal optimism about the unlikelihood of nuclear warfare has recently been transformed… Macron & Sunak (should) cross the ‘rubicon’ and announce that they will maximise total military effort and ensure the minimum overlapping of their nuclear targeting of hostile states …. This would be hugely significant: overlap reduces the effectiveness of both countries’ nuclear deterrence.”
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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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