British Politics | SDP Leaders | David Steel and David Owen Interview | This Week

FOLLOWING THE LIBERAL ASSEMBLY'S REJECTION OF THE OWEN/STEEL INITIATIVE AND WITH REPORTS THAT THE ALLIANCE IS NOW IN DISARRAY ON DEFENCE, DAVID OWEN AND DAVID STEEL WILL APPEAR TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE DEBATE ON THIS WEEK WITH JONATHAN DIMBLEBY
25/09/1986
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Quote: VT37216

[@amattchronism]

David Steel sounds so much like the Spitting Image puppet that it's scary

[@tubularbill]

All I can think of is their Spitting Image puppets...lol

[@gaygambler]

tubularbill A pencil ✏️ in dr Owens pocket 😹😹

[@insertclevername4123]

I seem to remember a bit where they talked about what to call themselves if and when they merged, with Owen saying that it would be easy: take "Social" and "Democratic" from the SDP and combine it with the "Party" from the Liberal Party.

[@MoodyWatters]

Those were the days indeed. Politicians were ideological and with a sense of intellectual decency. Long gone, I'm afraid.

[@anicetune]

"Ohh hold me David", "not now David".

[@jontyarnold8522]

David Owen would have made a decent James Bond....

[@carlingblacklabel2864]

The names Owen.... David Owen

[@chriswatson3464]

Villan!

[@zachsmith5515]

...villain

[@Jesus420.69]

I met him once he was very stroppy and refused an autograph request. He doesn’t have the charisma!

[@wilsonfisk6626]

​@@Jesus420.69 how long ago?

[@perrycomeau2627]

Mr. prime minister, please.

[@stonkez8452]

Just before @8:00 : " I honestly don't think you can... and you could..."

[@stevebbuk]

He means it would be disingenuous to advocate a policy with which he didn't agree.

[@frederickmiles327]

Polaris was as obsolete as the Vulcans Blue steel hp rocket by 1968.The chevaline update as Polaris was adequate if Owen's definition of adequate deterrence that 1. the Russians believed the RN had even 5 percent of hitting Moscow with it or destroying a couple of Soviet cities even say a couple of Kalikstan, if they would actually have been in range for either the Chevaline or Posiedon MIRV warheads
The United States had used a proportional response with Nagasaki type weapon and the British short range Polaris hardly fitted into either the nuclear warfighting, strategic reserve or blow up the world
six months later, domesday strategy. Told by the United McNamara , Kissinger and MOD bofins that the United States and Russia both stocked for three months conventional war in Europe, and all options including limited nuclear war
proportional respose. the European leaders acted with denial and refused to recognise the different purpose of the three timeline USN strategic weapons the Polaris, Posiedon and Trident. Britain only wanted a pretend nuclear strategic capability for status and was not interested in 'stocking for three months conventional war in Europe or limited nuclear war. The French response was to kick the Americans out and become a non acitve member of Nato. Britian and German reduced there conventional stocks to allow for only 36 hours conventional fighting in Europe or in the Atlantic and most of the second line nato allies massively educed defence spending Canada form 8 poer cent or GNP to 2 percent of GNP from 1962 to 1970. In the 1970s and 80s Britain spent hugely on defence but little of the naval capability had any self defence or real AA guns or missiles or🎉 probability of stopping fast soviet nuclear submarines. Britain supplied high tech weapons to regional sherrifs The Shah, Ghaddafi, Pinocet. The idiocy had long been apparent. All those French and British supplied weapons coming to get you in the Gulf or the Falklands. It had been expected that the Royal Navy would maintain a base at Sydney or Suva after the unfortunate developments of those African democats or dictators. But no Dennis Healy was enthralled by his discussions with ANU acadmeics in Canberra. They recommended Australia adopt a minimal defence to establish Australia's total dependency on the US Navy.🎉🎉🎉

[@thomasmohan9565]

Presenter looks like a cross between David Dimbleby and Jack Straw

[@carlingblacklabel2864]

He is David Dimbleby's Brother

[@vincentsmit1935]

And Jack Straw isn't

[@redmotherfive]

Presenter's glasses = coke bottles

[@emajansen]

Is it me or this journalist is taking a vicious pleasure to put the 2 Davids in a position so everybody see they didn't even prepared the ITW and they didn't even work on subjects like nuclear weapons. I mean they both look so amateur. They especially David Steel when he talked about the fail at election he sounds like "We lost because blah blah blah + millions of excuses" . I sincerly think we can't blame only on Spitting Image on the fail of the SDP it's unfair. I think Steel and Owen showed their incompetence and inconsistency of their SDP program themself.

[@th8257]

I think two factors really affected the SDP project. Firstly, the Falklands war really halted their progress. Secondly, David Owen himself seems to have alienated and offended pretty much everyone else in the SDP. Shirley Williams didn't speak to him for years. Roy Jenkins talked about how Owen had a destructive personality and they too were alienated. Perhaps the most vivid description of David Owen came from Denis Healey. "The good fairy gave David Owen film star looks and a sharp intellect. The bad fairy made him a shit."

[@stevebbuk9557]

@@th8257 Unfair.

[@bumberClart1000]

Abuser supporter. He was fully complicit in the repeal of Cyril Smith 😔☝️ shame on him