Young doctor shock choice to handle U.K. foreign affairs

Press, 23 February 1977, Page 9

Young doctor shock choice to handle U.K. foreign affairs

NZPA-Reuter London Dr David Owen, at the age of 38 the youngest member of the British Cabinet, yesterday 7 plunged into the tough task of guiding Britain’s foreign policy.

Dr Owen’s meteoric rise, , has taken him from junior) hospital doctor to senior i Cabinet Minister in less than 11 years. He now faces a huge work-load, the size of which, many observers feel i contributed to the death [from a stroke of his pre- ; decessor, Mr Anthonv Cros- ' land. j The decision of the Prime Minister (Mr James Callaghan) to appoint Dr Owen as I the youngest Foreign Secretary since Anthony Eden was appointed before the Second j World War came as a sur- ) prise to many, who expected the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Denis Healey) ’ to get the job. > But Mr Healey stays at the : Treasury, where he is draw- . ing up the March 29 Budget, and preparing for negotiautions with the trade unions ion the next round of pay I) restraints. Mr Callaghan’s only ges■ture to the Treasury in the : reshuffle was to promote Mr .) Joel Barnett, Chief Secretary ito the Treasury, to Cabinet ■) status. Dr Owen, a neurologist, is I noted as a staunch advocate of Britain’s role in Europe. He takes over as president lof the Common Market i Council of Ministers, a job I that fell to Britain for a sixmonth term in January.

■| The presidency will neces-i • isitate much travel between .) Brussels and London for Dr i Owen during the next few 1 i months. He must also apply i himself to the intractable! ■ problems of Rhodesia, and) the attempts to reconvene 1 the Rhodesian constitutional) 1 conference in Geneva, of) which Britain is chairman. He is also likely to join i Mr Callaghan and Mr Healey i ! when they meet President i Carter in Washington in ' ‘ March. ’j Dr Owen’s promotion [, comes after only five months 1 j at the Foreign Office. His [[new deputy is Mr Frank ! j Judd, who was Minister of “Overseas Development. ' Mr Callaghan also decided

•Ito bring back the Left- j i winger, Mrs Judith Hart, as) • Minister of Overseas De-1 ' velopment. He dropped her, ’ from the Government when, i! he took over the leadershipl liin April, 1976. ■ 1 The addition of Mr Bar-! I) nett to the Cabinet increases ’ its size from 23 to 24, and will strengthen the voice of lithe Treasury in Cabinet ses- ' sions. : 1 Mr Crosland was cremated 11 on Monday in a quiet ceremony in Oxford. His death i wipes out the Government’s ; majority over all other ; parties in the House of Comi'mons, and his Grimsby conistituency is now considered I: marginal.