David Owen

Lore
David Owen was the second longest serving Prime Minister in British history. His rise to power began with the Limehouse Declaration of 1984 when he, alongside future Deputy Prime Minister Shirley Williams, former European Commissioner Roy Jenkins, and MP Bill Rodgers split from the Labour Party. Callaghan would be defeated by the Conservative Margaret Thatcher in 1984, but her government proved even less popular. The so-called “Gang of Four” formed the Social Democratic Party with the intention of unseating the Labour opposition of Tony Benn. This was not to be, and the SDP soon merged with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats. Those who opposed this union followed Owen into a reformed SDP, but it achieved little success at first. It was only after the miscalculated election of 1989 that Owen rose to prominence. His campaign in the wake of the fall of democracy in Europe was unprecedented. He called for the abandonment of any ties between the UK and the former US, instead supporting closer ties, cooperation and peace with Ireland. On election night, the whole nation was shocked by Owen’s victory, aided in no small part by the fall of the Labour Party. His two decades in power have been times of both praise and criticism. He helped bring peace to Northern Ireland by forming the unity government in Ulster, but his time in power has seen the UK become increasingly isolated from the world. Though numerous achievements have been made, he had sometimes been forced into uncomfortable compromises with both the Labour Party and the British National Party. But through it all, Owen remained one of the most popular Prime Ministers in modern history, and he gave no sign that he intended to step down.

Game
"Prime Minister David Owen and his deputy Shirley Williams were hunting on the outskirts of Greater London, when their secret service became aware of a possible threat. According to local officers, a suspicious black sedan was parked at the fenceline of these grounds, with its owner seemingly gone for hours up to that point. With the service in fact more than a hundred metres away from the pair, it became clear to them that the two most powerful politicians in Britain could be the targets of a possible assassination. The dispatch proceeded to run towards Owen and Williams, but they were too late. A camouflaged figure took two shots. One hit the Prime Minister and the second barely missed Deputy PM Williams, piercing the hill just behind her. Before anyone could come to their senses, the assassin had disappeared, and Owen lay motionless at Shirley Williams' feet. To the horror of all British citizens, Royal London Hospital declared this afternoon that their beloved long-time leader had passed away."- Guardian Report- August 2010

The United Kingdom’s focus tree is largely locked until the assassination of Prime Minister Owen. After his death, Shirley William’s will succeed to power. His plot triggering death leads to many different paths potentially occurring.