A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
William James Owen formerly a miner and latterly a Labour MP was tried for spying for the Czechs, it’s amazing how often Czech Intelligence’s name crops up when politicians are accused of spying.
Better known as Will Owen he progressed through the ranks of trade union, councillor, the cooperative movement, the National Coal Board and eventually in 1954, at the age of 53, was elected to represent Morpeth.
As an MP he had an unspectacular career on the back benches. For many years he served on the Estimates Committee and this would have given him access to some government secrets.
A senior Czech Intelligence chap defected to the USA in 1969 and started spilling the beans. He fingered several Labour MPs one of whom was Will Owen. Will was arrested in 1970 and charged with communicating information useful to an enemy. Bail was refused and he was held in custody for several months. He admitted he had received cash in the order of 10 or 20 pounds from the Czech Embassy, so at least more than once. A look at his bank account indicated it was much more than the 10 or 20 he coughed to.
He admitted discussing political developments but denied passing any secrets and no secret documents were found at his house. The trial lasted a few weeks and he was found not guilty thereby showing how difficult it is to get an espionage conviction. Having resigned as an MP, Will later became the Chairman of the Wallington and Carshalton Labour Party. These days that is big Lib/Dem territory.
The Intelligence officer who grassed him up mentions Owen, codename “Lee”, in his memoirs. He claimed he was only interested in the £500 a month retainer they paid him and was forever pestering them for free holidays in the socialist paradise that was Czechoslovakia. If he ever went to the Embassy he purloined as many cigars as he could stuff in his pockets.
You pays your money and you takes your choice. Was he innocent as he claimed. Was he a full fledged traitor or was he just a chancer on the make. My money would be on the third option.
With all the brouhaha about Russian influence these days and who they are supporting financially I find it incredibly hypocritical of our current Labour Party. Back in the day had the Red Army crossed the Channel they would have laid out the red carpet and greeted them with open arms. Maybe it depends on just how communist you really are. As for the tiddly winks, they still claim to be commies but in reality they are just capitalists who retained all the trappings of a communist state in terms of repression.
I still wonder about the other Labour MPs who were named. Maybe Will was the sacrificial lamb and the others continued on their merry treacherous way – politics is a filthy business.
© well_chuffed 2026
