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John Jeremy Thorpe (born April 29, 1929) is a British politician, former leader of the Liberal Party.

The son of a Conservative MP, he was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Oxford, and was called to the bar in 1954. After brief careers as a barrister and a TV interviewer, he entered parliament in 1959 as Liberal MP for North Devon. In 1967, he became party leader after the resignation of Jo Grimond. Thorpe's style, in contrast to Grimond's intellectualism, was youthful and dynamic, and was sometimes ridiculed as too gimmicky.

A colourful character, Thorpe was renowned for his assortment of Edwardian suits, silk waistcoats and trilby hats, as well as being a noted raconteur and impressionist. Critics argued that he was little more than a political lightweight, but Thorpe was undoubtedly a popular figure. When he became Liberal leader, his party commanded 8.5% of the vote. By February 1974, it commanded 19% of the vote, with some opinion polls even placing it as high as 30%.

The 1970 general election was a disaster for Thorpe's Liberals, as their number of MPs halved from 12 to 6. But between 1972 and 1974, Thorpe led the Liberals to an impressive string of byelection victories, at Rochdale, Sutton and Cheam, Ripon, the Isle of Ely, and Berwick. In the two general elections of 1974, the Liberals gained 14 and 13 MPs respectively.

In the hung parliament of 1974, Thorpe was offered a seat in the Cabinet as Home Secretary by Prime Minister Edward Heath, as part of a coalition deal, but declined.

Following the death of his first wife Caroline in a car crash, Thorpe married Marion, a former concert pianist and ex-wife of the Earl of Harewood.

However, in 1976, Thorpe was forced to resign the party leadership after being accused of a homosexual relationship with Norman Scott, who claimed that Thorpe had tried to murder him after the end of their affair. Thorpe was subsequently one of four defendants in a court case, but was acquitted of conspiring to murder Scott, despite the jury originally being tied. His political career could not withstand the scandal, and he lost his parliamentary seat at the general election of 1979, which came just a week before his trial. Not long after the end of the trial, Jeremy Thorpe was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and retired from public life. For the past twenty years, it has been at an extremely advanced stage.

Preceded by:
Jo Grimond

Leader of the British Liberal Party
1967-1976

Followed by:
Jo Grimond

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 '''John Jeremy Thorpe''' (born [[April 29]], [[1929]]) is a British [[politician]], former leader of the [[The Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]].
-The son of a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP, he was educated at [[Eton College]] and [[Trinity College, Oxford]], and was called to the bar in [[1954]].  In [[1959]] he entered parliament as Liberal MP for North [[Devon]].  In [[1967]], he became party leader after the resignation of [[Jo Grimond]].  Thorpe's style, in contrast to Grimond's, was youthful and dynamic, and was sometimes ridiculed as too gimmicky.
+The son of a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP, he was educated at [[Eton College]] and [[Trinity College, Oxford]], and was called to the bar in [[1954]].  After brief careers as a barrister and a TV interviewer, he entered parliament in [[1959]] as Liberal MP for North [[Devon]].  In [[1967]], he became party leader after the resignation of [[Jo Grimond]].  Thorpe's style, in contrast to Grimond's intellectualism, was youthful and dynamic, and was sometimes ridiculed as too gimmicky.
+A colourful character, Thorpe was renowned for his assortment of [[Edwardian]] suits, silk waistcoats and trilby hats, as well as being a noted raconteur and impressionist. Critics argued that he was little more than a political lightweight, but Thorpe was undoubtedly a popular figure. When he became Liberal leader, his party commanded 8.5% of the vote. By February 1974, it commanded 19% of the vote, with some opinion polls even placing it as high as 30%.
-Following the death of his first wife, Thorpe married [[Marion Thorpe|Marion]], a former concert pianist and ex-wife of the [[George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood|Earl of Harewood]].  However, in [[1976]], Thorpe was forced to resign the party leadership after being accused of a homosexual relationship with [[Norman Scott]], who claimed to have been threatened by Thorpe after the end of their affair.  Thorpe was subsequently one of four defendants in a court case, but was acquitted of conspiring to murder Scott.  His political career could not withstand the scandal, and he lost his parliamentary seat at the [[UK general election, 1979|general election of 1979]], and retired from public life. Not long after the end of the trial, Jeremy Thorpe was diagnosed with [[Parkinson's Disease]].
+The [[1970]] general election was a disaster for Thorpe's Liberals, as their number of MPs halved from 12 to 6. But between 1972 and 1974, Thorpe led the Liberals to an impressive string of byelection victories, at [[Rochdale]], [[Sutton and Cheam]], [[Ripon]], the [[Isle of Ely]], and [[Berwick]]. In the two general elections of [[1974]], the Liberals gained 14 and 13 MPs respectively.
+In the [[hung parliament]] of 1974, Thorpe was offered a seat in the Cabinet as [[Home Secretary]] by [[Prime Minister]] [[Edward Heath]], as part of a [[coalition]] deal, but declined.
+Following the death of his first wife [[Caroline Thorpe|Caroline]] in a car crash, Thorpe married [[Marion Thorpe|Marion]], a former concert pianist and ex-wife of the [[George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood|Earl of Harewood]].
+However, in [[1976]], Thorpe was forced to resign the party leadership after being accused of a homosexual relationship with [[Norman Scott]], who claimed that Thorpe had tried to murder him after the end of their affair.  Thorpe was subsequently one of four defendants in a court case, but was acquitted of conspiring to murder Scott, despite the jury originally being tied.  His political career could not withstand the scandal, and he lost his parliamentary seat at the [[UK general election, 1979|general election of 1979]], which came just a week before his trial.  Not long after the end of the trial, Jeremy Thorpe was diagnosed with [[Parkinson's Disease]] and retired from public life. For the past twenty years, it has been at an extremely advanced stage.
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