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SALFORD STORMIN’ NORMAN OWEN PASSES AWAY
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Star date: 6th October 2020 FIERY FORMER LIBDEM LEADER NORMAN OWEN PASSES AWAY Former councillor and leader of the LibDems in Salford, Norman 'Stormin' Norman' Owen, has passed away. After leaving the LibDems following the collapse of the party nationally he joined the Labour Party in Salford. "I am very sorry to hear of Norman's passing" says colleague Councillor Kate Lewis "I knew him as a person always dedicated to serving his community." Full details here...
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One thing you could say about Norman Owen, who has sadly passed away, is that he was fiery. As Leader of the Salford LibDems before the collapse of the Clegg vehicle nationally following the Con-Dem Coalition, he made the local party into a credible opposition during the first decade of the 21st Century, speaking out against the Government's Pathfinder project which demolished hundreds of houses in central Salford. He earned the nickname 'Stormin' Norman' for his abrasive style, which once actually spilled onto the civic centre corridors with fisticuffs. In 2012 Norman lost his Claremont seat as a councillor, and the next day was defeated in the first Mayoral election in Salford. He told the Salford Star at the time that he blamed the wipeout on the "Cameron and Clegg factor". Owen subsequently left the LibDems and, after a while joined the Labour Party in Salford but failed to get another council seat. "My enduring memory of him will be the man who thoroughly researched every cause he stood for" colleague, Councillor Kate Lewis told the Salford Star this afternoon "Norman rarely attended a meeting without waving a huge wad of paper which he insisted everyone needed to read to properly understand the issues. We had many heated debates but always remained friends. My thoughts are with his family at this sad time."
Photos of Norman Owen at the 2012 Mayor Election by Gareth Lyons
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Wrote wrote
at 09:16:36 on 16 October 2020 |
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| 2012 is mentioned in the article the first Mayor election. 10 stood. 2 already deceased. Norman Owen and Paul Massey both gone. Makes you think don’t it. Rest In a Peace. Salford will remember you. |
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Norma Robotham wrote
at 19:15:30 on 15 October 2020 |
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| So sorry to hear about the death of Norman Owen. I first met him when we both worked at CWS Tea warehouse probably nearly 50 years ago. Barbara Ridings whom he later married, also worked there. This was long before he became involved in local politics. Norman cared passionately about Salford and will be missed very much. |
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Steve Middleton wrote
at 12:25:00 on 10 October 2020 |
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| I campaigned with Norman for a few years and the comment above at the 2010 election is accurate. Labour were obviously worried after SAlford & Eccles was declared a marginal seat. I distinctly remember running into Hazel Blears in Langworthy where she waved her leaflet and said “we’ve got Ross Kemp” and without even thinking I replied to her “we’ve got Stormin’ Norman”. No answer.
We disagreed about a few things over the years, most notably the decision to enter a coalition, but one thing about Norman cannot be denied, he cared about his community and Salford as a whole. |
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Lee Craven MBE wrote
at 16:46:56 on 09 October 2020 |
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| RIP Norman, a true and hard working Councillior, Who put 100% into everything very passionate 👍 |
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wrote
at 10:48:53 on 08 October 2020 |
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| Yesterday, a horse called Stormin Norman won at 4/1, at Sedgefield, Blairs old seat.Norman would have laughed his socks of. R.I.P. Norman,we will all miss you here. |
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Neal Keeling wrote
at 20:25:36 on 07 October 2020 |
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| Gobby, passionate about his city and fearless about speaking his mind. When I arrived in Salford in 1988 he told me he would be a great Councillor...at the 11th attempt he was. For a while he lead a ten-strong opposition who seriously ruffled Labour feathers. I will miss him... a one off. |
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wrote
at 16:36:41 on 07 October 2020 |
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| Sad to hear about Norman, helped on so many issues over years, and was a true friend of Salford. I remember working with him on certain issues, for which he was fearless, though sorry Felse, he never had a good word for you. He didn’t suffer fools gladly and could see right though political machinations, he definitely had your card marked. Pity he didn’t become Mayor, or get another seat with Labour but at least he found his political home, and he was very well respected in Salford in all parties. RIP Stormin Norman |
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Rayofsunshine wrote
at 13:28:35 on 07 October 2020 |
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| So sad to hear of the passing of Norman Owen - despite our political differences,we maintained a friendly albeit combative relationship. I was particularly attracted to Norman's sense of humour and the fact that he didn't have a pompous bone in his body!
Eventually because of his own moral courage he decided to break with the rotten Liberal Democrats;
unlike Joe O'Neil,Norman didn't throw his lot in with the far right!
Sleep tight, Comrade Owen. |
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Bob wrote
at 11:42:23 on 07 October 2020 |
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| Felsey is right about the Con Lib coalition.If we had elected Norman he would have stopped it. I don't know how he would have done it,butI know he would have..There were a lot of Liberals against it.Just a few hundred votes in Salford could have changed a lot |
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Felsey wrote
at 09:36:40 on 07 October 2020 |
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| Norman was without doubt the most challenging of the 10 of us that stood in the 2012 Salford Mayoral contest. I watched him as he publicly presented the facts researched by himself, he knew a massive amount and would have been a perfectly sensible MP in fact he would have saved the then Liberal Party from the Clegg disaster because he would have called no on the wrong direction that caused their demise. We exchanged ideas without anything but respect for what we wanted for Salford. Norman was in fact better at seeing the opportunities because he had more life facts from his long service to Salford. RIP Norman with sincere thanks for the great ideas, your truthful challenges and for being a man of inspiring belief. RIP. |
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Mary Ferrer wrote
at 20:22:07 on 06 October 2020 |
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| R.I.P. A very big shock, knows Norman over 20 years.my condolences to Barbara and the girls |
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bob wrote
at 19:57:27 on 06 October 2020 |
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| I am so sad to hear this. It is a terrible shock and my thoughts are with his family. I spoke to him many times,as we both used the same gym at one time. Despite both he and me both being a little "argumentative" about political things, I don't recall us ever having a disagreement about anything.Norman as you say ,was a very hard working councillor, and had a good eye for detail.He would have been a great Mayor for our city. He would have been a great MP as well,and he very nearly was. I think it was 2010 when he stood against the Iron Chipmunk. It looked like he was going to win,and Labour knew it. They drafted in loads of extra canvassers and she held on with about 1200 votes. That sounds a lot, but when you consider the huge majority he ate away at.That was Normans finest hour. Rest In Peace Norman, you did your bit for Salford. Your were a shining example and we will miss you. |
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wrote
at 19:49:14 on 06 October 2020 |
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| I dont suppose any of the councillors will say a good word about Nobby. When he was leader of the Lib Dems he ruffled a few feathers with the various call ins etc. The Salford Labour councillors are a petty and vindictive lot and I am sure that is why he never got to stand for a seat when he joined Labour. The Lib Dems lost a lot of support when Clegg did the deal with Cameron and that probably did for Stormin Norman in Salford.
While he did not have the power, at least he took an interest in things that were going on in Salford. I spoke to him once and he told me about a drunken Christmas and a former Council leader dancing round a lampost.
Rip Norman |
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