Words of wisdom?
One of the more entertaining aspects of the post-election frenzy around the Coalition negotiations was the revelation that Labour ministers sought the advice of Lord Owen (the artist formerly known as Dr David Owen) on the possibility of doing a deal with the Liberal Democrats.
Alright, he was one of the leaders of the 1981 SDP breakaway from Labour, and he did spend much of the '80s in electoral pact with the Liberals, before the two parties merged to form the Liberal Democrats. But he didn't join.
Asking David Owen about the Lib Dems is a bit like asking Disraeli about Gladstone (or vice-versa). Perhaps as a consequence of those stories, there has been a spate of references to the good Doctor as a "Lib Dem Grandee," most recently in the Telegraph at the weekend. I'm not quite sure who would be most insulted by the idea - Lord Owen or the Lib Dem peers.
But I checked. I hadn't missed the Earth shuddering on its axis, and Lord Owen has not joined the Liberal Democrats.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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