Will Owen
Encyclopedia
William James Owen was a British
miner and politician, whose career as a Member of Parliament
was ended by his trial under the Official Secrets Act 1911
for giving secrets to Czechoslovak
intelligence. Although found not guilty, it was claimed by intelligence historian Christopher Andrew in The Defence of the Realm
that “he was almost certainly guilty as charged”.
, Monmouthshire
and went to Blaina
Boys' Central School, which he left at the age of 13 to go to work in the local coal mines. However he was determined to better himself and in 1920 left work to study at the London Labour College. When his course ended he returned to Blaina to become a Tutor Organiser for the National Council of Labour Colleges, arranging for other local miners to attend further education courses.
politics, in 1923 Owen was elected to Blaina District Council, on which he served for four years. In 1930 he moved to Leicester
and became Secretary of the Leicester branch of the Independent Labour Party
; he was elected to Leicester City Council
in 1932. He then worked in the Co-operative movement, in the Education and Management section in Leicester, and from 1938 in the Education Office of Burslem
Co-operative north of Stoke-on-Trent
.
from 1948. He had further connections with the Co-operative movement. At this stage he was Labour candidate for Dover
in the 1950
and 1951
general elections.
candidate for Morpeth
at a by-election in 1954. This was a safe seat and Owen was duly elected. Owen remained a backbencher throughout his time at Westminster, although he did introduce a Private Members' Bill to regulate driving tests in 1966. He was allied with the left and wanted the British government to distance itself from the United States over the Vietnam war
. For many years he served on the Estimates Committee, which gave him access to some secret information about government projects.
, defected to the United States in 1969. He immediately named several British Labour MPs as having been friendly with Czechoslovak intelligence, including Owen. On 15 January 1970 Owen was arrested at his home in Carshalton, and charged with communicating information useful to an enemy. Bail was refused and Owen was held in custody until his trial at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) in April 1970. Owen resigned his seat on 2 April by means of the Stewardship of the Manor of Northstead.
At trial, it was established that Owen had received cash from Robert Husak, an intelligence officer at the Czechoslovak Embassy; he admitted receiving a regular envelope each month which sometimes contained £10, and sometimes £20 (Owen's bank account details showed that the real figure must have been much higher). In return, Owen discussed political developments, but he denied ever passing on secret information, and the prosecution were unable to find any secret documents in his home. On 6 May, Owen was found not guilty on all charges.
from 1974. However, Frolik's memoirs (written in 1975) portrayed him as a major agent. He gives Owen's codename as "Lee".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
miner and politician, whose career as a 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,...
was ended by his trial under the Official Secrets Act 1911
Official Secrets Act 1911
The Official Secrets Act 1911 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaces the Official Secrets Act 1889....
for giving secrets to Czechoslovak
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
intelligence. Although found not guilty, it was claimed by intelligence historian Christopher Andrew in The Defence of the Realm
The Defence of the Realm
The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5, published in the United States as Defend the Realm, is an authorised history of the British Security Service , written by historian Christopher Andrew...
that “he was almost certainly guilty as charged”.
Miner
Owen was born in BedwelltyBedwellty
Bedwellty was a parish and urban district in Monmouthshire, South Wales, until 1974.The original ancient parish was very large, including most of the upper Ebbw and Sirhowy valleys...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
and went to Blaina
Blaina
Blaina is a small town, situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Brynmawr and Abertillery in the unitary authority of Blaenau Gwent, ancient parish of Aberystruth, preserved county of Gwent and historic county of Monmouthshire.-Notable people:...
Boys' Central School, which he left at the age of 13 to go to work in the local coal mines. However he was determined to better himself and in 1920 left work to study at the London Labour College. When his course ended he returned to Blaina to become a Tutor Organiser for the National Council of Labour Colleges, arranging for other local miners to attend further education courses.
Co-operative official
Already involved in Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politics, in 1923 Owen was elected to Blaina District Council, on which he served for four years. In 1930 he moved to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and became Secretary of the Leicester branch of the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
; he was elected to Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party and has been led by Mayor Sir...
in 1932. He then worked in the Co-operative movement, in the Education and Management section in Leicester, and from 1938 in the Education Office of Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
Co-operative north of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
.
Political advancement
In 1940 Owen moved to London to work in the London Co-operative, followed four years later by transfer to Bristol. The nationalisation of the mines in 1948 led him to a job in the Community Office of the National Coal BoardNational Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
from 1948. He had further connections with the Co-operative movement. At this stage he was Labour candidate for Dover
Dover (UK Parliament constituency)
Dover is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in the 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
and 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
general elections.
Parliamentary career
Owen was chosen as Labour and Co-operative PartyCo-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
candidate for Morpeth
Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)
Morpeth was a borough constituency centred on the town of Morpeth in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
at a by-election in 1954. This was a safe seat and Owen was duly elected. Owen remained a backbencher throughout his time at Westminster, although he did introduce a Private Members' Bill to regulate driving tests in 1966. He was allied with the left and wanted the British government to distance itself from the United States over the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. For many years he served on the Estimates Committee, which gave him access to some secret information about government projects.
Secrets trial
A senior Czechoslovak intelligence officer, Josef FrolikJosef Frolík
Josef Frolík was a Czechoslovak spy who, in 1969, defected to the United States and joined the CIA.-Childhood:Josef Frolík was born in Libušín, Czechoslovakia. He graduated from secondary school at the end of World War II...
, defected to the United States in 1969. He immediately named several British Labour MPs as having been friendly with Czechoslovak intelligence, including Owen. On 15 January 1970 Owen was arrested at his home in Carshalton, and charged with communicating information useful to an enemy. Bail was refused and Owen was held in custody until his trial at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) in April 1970. Owen resigned his seat on 2 April by means of the Stewardship of the Manor of Northstead.
At trial, it was established that Owen had received cash from Robert Husak, an intelligence officer at the Czechoslovak Embassy; he admitted receiving a regular envelope each month which sometimes contained £10, and sometimes £20 (Owen's bank account details showed that the real figure must have been much higher). In return, Owen discussed political developments, but he denied ever passing on secret information, and the prosecution were unable to find any secret documents in his home. On 6 May, Owen was found not guilty on all charges.
Later life
Owen was partially rehabilitated as Chairman of Carshalton and Wallington Constituency Labour PartyConstituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
from 1974. However, Frolik's memoirs (written in 1975) portrayed him as a major agent. He gives Owen's codename as "Lee".