Thorpe Allegation Repeated (Press, 16 March 1976)

On 15 March 1976, Norman Scott, the man at the centre of a scandal involving Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of Britain's Liberal Party, reiterated his claims of a past homosexual relationship with Thorpe. Scott accused Thorpe of engaging in defamatory behaviour towards him, stating he would consult a lawyer regarding Thorpe's recent remarks published in the "Sunday Times." In his statement, Thorpe dismissed Scott's claims as false and labelled him as "an incorrigible liar." Scott's comments came after Thorpe listed various allegations he attributed to Scott, including that Thorpe had stolen Scott's National Health Insurance card, made payments to silence him, hired a gunman with government assistance to kill Scott's dog, and purchased letters from Scott for £2,500. Scott, however, denied making the specific claims mentioned by Thorpe, insisting it was the media that suggested these ideas. He noted that he had previously alleged the existence of a homosexual relationship during a court appearance in Barnstaple at the end of January 1976 and pointed out that it was now over 40 days since he made those allegations. In reference to the £2,500 linked to the acquisition of letters between himself and former Liberal MP Peter Bessell, Scott expressed uncertainty regarding who made that payment, mentioning a businessman named David Holmes, who claimed responsibility but whose involvement was unclear to Scott. As the discussions about Thorpe's leadership continued, a meeting of the Parliamentary Liberal Party was scheduled to take place in the House of Commons on Wednesday. This meeting would gauge Thorpe's support among MPs as they prepared to navigate the party's leadership crisis. The new election rules stipulated that constituency parties could vote, but only MPs could nominate candidates, placing Thorpe's ability to remain in his role at risk. Reports indicated that he might face considerable opposition within the party, with predictions suggesting a narrow margin of support. While the overall party sentiment seemed to be in favour of Thorpe continuing as leader, many parliamentary colleagues believed it was time for a change, with names such as Emlyn Hodson and John Pardoe emerging as potential challengers for leadership. The Liberal Candidates’ Association supported Thorpe but favoured a prompt resolution through a special conference to address the leadership issue. Meanwhile, the Young Liberals argued for Thorpe's temporary withdrawal from leadership until his personal matters were fully resolved, aligning with the sentiments expressed by Hodson, who hinted at the wisdom of stepping back until the situation clarified.

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