Contact details
Westminster
House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
Biography
Electoral history
Contested Torrington 1964 general election. MP (Labour 1966-81, SDP 1981-92) for Plymouth Sutton 1966-74, for Plymouth Devonport 1974-92
Parliamentary career
PPS to Gerry Reynolds as Minister of Defence 1966-68;
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Royal Navy) 1968-70;
Opposition Spokesperson for Defence 1970-72;
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security 1974,
Minister of State 1974-76;
Minister of State, Foreign Office 1976-77;
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 1977-79;
Principal Opposition Spokesperson for Energy 1979-80
Party groups
One of the founders of the Social Democratic Party, March 1981;
Chairman, Parliamentary Committee 1981-82;
Deputy Leader of the Party 1982-83,
Leader 1983-87,
Resigned over merger with Liberal Party;
Re-elected SDP Leader 1988-90
International bodies
Member:
Palme Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues 1980-89,
Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues 1983-88;
EU Co-chair, International Conference on former Yugoslavia 1992-95;
Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict 1994-99;
Director, Center for International Humanitarian Co-operation 1996-;
Eminent Persons Group on curbing illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons 1999-2001;
Vice-President, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (UK Branch)
Political interests
International affairs (foreign and defence)
Name, style and title
Raised to the peerage as Baron Owen, of the City of Plymouth 1992
Register of Interests
1: Directorships
Hyperdynamics Corporation (energy)
Europe Steel plc
2: Remunerated employment, office, profession etc.
Medical Practitioner (non-practising)
Income is received from Methuen Publishing for writing books; and from international consultancy work (see category 3)
3: Clients
Epion Holdings Limited, registered in BVI; main shareholder Alisher Usmanov
4: Shareholdings (b)
Abbott Laboratories Inc
Hyperdynamics Corporation (energy)
10: Non-financial interests (a)
Director, Center for International Humanitarian Co-operation
10: Non-financial interests (e)
President, River Thames Society