Jeremy Thorpe: Former Liberal leader passes away after long battle with Parkinson's
The politician resigned as party leader in 1976 after allegations that he’d had an affair with Norman Scott, a former male model, emerged
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Your support makes all the difference.Jeremy Thorpe, the former leader of the Liberal Party, has died aged 85.
The politician, who was elected as the head of the party in 1967, had endured a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease, his son Rupert confirmed.
His career was ended in 1976 after a series of public scandals.
He resigned that year as leader of the Liberals after allegations that he’d had an affair with Norman Scott, a former male model, emerged.
At the time, male homosexual acts were deemed illegal.
He was later charged, alongside three other men, with conspiracy to murder Scott. After a 31-day trial in 1979, all three men were cleared of the allegations.
Shortly before the verdict of not guilty was heard, however, he lost the North Devon seat he held onto for 20 years in the general election that year.
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