Frank Owen (politician)
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Frank Owen was a British journalist and Liberal
Member of Parliament
. He was a Lloyd Georgite
Liberal MP for Hereford
between 1929 and 1931. He was elected at the age of 23 years, 245 days and was Baby of the House
(the youngest member of the House of Commons).
He worked as a journalist and became editor of the Evening Standard
in 1938 and the Daily Mail
in 1947. During the War he edited SEAC, The Services Newspaper of South East Asia Command
.
After a period as a television journalist, he again fought the Hereford seat in 1955
and in a by-election
in 1956.
He was once asked whether it were true that he had been a Member of Parliament. "Yes," he said, "I was elected by the highly intelligent, far-sighted people of the constituency of Hereford in 1929 - and thrown out by the same besotted mob two years later." This is often misquoted.
He was one of the authors of Guilty Men
, a denunciation of appeasement
published in summer of 1940. He wrote a biography Tempestuous Journey: Lloyd George His Life and Times (Hutchinson of London; 1954).
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. He was a Lloyd Georgite
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
Liberal MP for Hereford
Hereford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
between 1929 and 1931. He was elected at the age of 23 years, 245 days and was Baby of the House
Baby of the House
Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament.-Australia:In Australia the term is rarely used...
(the youngest member of the House of Commons).
He worked as a journalist and became editor of the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
in 1938 and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
in 1947. During the War he edited SEAC, The Services Newspaper of South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
.
After a period as a television journalist, he again fought the Hereford seat in 1955
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
and in a by-election
Hereford by-election, 1956
The Hereford by-election of 14 February 1956 was held after the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Jim Thomas:The seat was safe, having been won by Thomas at the United Kingdom general election, 1955 albeit with a reduced majority of over 9,000 votes-Candidates:*David Gibson-Watt was the...
in 1956.
He was once asked whether it were true that he had been a Member of Parliament. "Yes," he said, "I was elected by the highly intelligent, far-sighted people of the constituency of Hereford in 1929 - and thrown out by the same besotted mob two years later." This is often misquoted.
He was one of the authors of Guilty Men
Guilty Men
Guilty Men was a book published in Great Britain in 1940 that attacked British public figures for their appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1930s...
, a denunciation of appeasement
Appeasement
The term appeasement is commonly understood to refer to a diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding war by making concessions to another power. Historian Paul Kennedy defines it as "the policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and...
published in summer of 1940. He wrote a biography Tempestuous Journey: Lloyd George His Life and Times (Hutchinson of London; 1954).