David Finkelstein, The Times online on Tuesday 3 September

FEARLESS DAVIS OWEN IS A BRILLIANT ONE-OFF

'On Monday, just after prayers, the speaker of the House of Lords announced the retirement of the Rt Hon the Lord Owen. David Owen, former Labour foreign secretary, leader of the SDP and my close friend and mentor, has finally left parliament after almost 60 years as a member.

There will doubtless be many people who would desire a sceptical article about these 60 years. David has certainly had many critics and even some enemies.

The novelist Robert Harris tells of a lunch with Roy Jenkins in 1997 when “my wife announced that she had almost reversed her car over Lord Owen in Hungerford high street”. “Almost!” exclaimed Jenkins. “Don’t you ever come to this house and say that you ‘almost’ ran over David Owen.”

But this is not such an article, and if one like that is wanted then someone else will have to write it.'

Read the full article in The Times online