D709 2/1 - Labour Party. Early Labour Party Membership. - 1960-1966
Group D 709 2/1 contains papers relating to David Owen's early activities as member of the Labour Party prior to his election as M.P.: includes primarily speech transcripts and news cuttings dating from 1962–1966
| Archive level description: | Sub-series |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | 4 sub-sub-series |
| Summary: | Group D 709 2/1 contains papers relating to David Owen's early activities as member of the Labour Party prior to his election as M.P.: includes primarily speech transcripts and news cuttings dating from 1962–1966 |
|---|---|
| Date: | 1960-1966 |
| Reference Number: | D709 2/1 |
| Arrangement: | The papers in D 709 2/1 are arranged into the following groups:
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| Biographical/Administrative Information: | David Owen joined the Labour Party (Vauxhall branch) and the Fabian Society in 1960, whilst training as a medical student at St. Thomas' Hospital, London, inspired particularly by the politics of Hugh Gaitskell. In later reflections made whilst Minister of State for Health (1974–1976) he identified in his hospital work further motivation for his entry into politics, stating that `it was not until, as a medical student in London confronted with so much poverty, squalor and unhappiness that I joined the Labour Party' (Owen, Speech notes - see D 709 2/8/2). He became involved in the writing of a Young Fabian pamphlet on the pharmaceutical industry, and spoke at Fabian and Labour group meetings on the subject. In 1962 he successfully stood for selection as the Labour Party Parliamentary candidate for Torrington, Devon, and contested the seat in the 1964 General Election failing however, after what he later described to be a 'completely amateur campaign' (Owen, Time to Declare, p 74) to threaten the safe Conservative seat. In 1965 he was once again selected as parliamentary candidate, this time for Plymouth Sutton constituency, campaigning for and winning the seat in the 1966 election. |