John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso
Encyclopedia
John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso (born 10 September 1953), known as John Thurso, is a Scottish
businessman and Liberal Democrat
politician
. He is the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
and the fifth generation of the Sinclair family to represent the Caithness
area in the House of Commons.
and at Eton College
. Thurso joined the Savoy Group as a management trainee in 1972 and following this worked for many years in the hospitality industry. His achievements included managing the Lancaster in Paris (1981–85) and founding the hotel at Cliveden
(1985–92) before becoming CEO of Granfel Holdings, owners of East Sussex National Golf Course from 1992 to 1995. Finally from 1995 until his election to parliament in 2001 he was CEO of the Champneys
group. During his time in this job he featured in the TV documentary Trouble at the Top - Shape up with Lord Thurso
.
John Thurso comes from a family of Liberal politicians. The former constituency of Caithness and Sutherland
had been held by his grandfather, Archibald Sinclair
from 1922 until 1945. Archibald Sinclair was the 1st Viscount Thurso
and a Liberal Party
leader. Thurso has been married to Marion for 26 years and they have a daughter and two sons. The family live in Thurso, Caithness.
John Thurso holds the Presidency of the Tourism Society and the Academy of Food and Wine Service. He is a Fellow of the HCIMA and was their Patron for six years, until June 2003. He is President of the British International Spa Association. He is a Trustee of the Clan Sinclair Trust
. He is Patron of the Bluebell Railway 50th Anniversary Appeal.
in favour of Lords reform
. His automatic right as a hereditary peer
to sit in the House of Lords
was abolished in 1999, and he did not attempt to remain. At the 2001 general election
he was elected to the House of Commons to represent Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
becoming the first British hereditary peer allowed to sit in the Commons without first disclaiming his title. He served as Liberal Democrat Shadow
Scotland Secretary
under Charles Kennedy
but was sacked by Sir Menzies Campbell. He has publicly gone against party policy by declaring his support for nuclear power
, and his criticism of 24-hour drinking
and wind power.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
businessman and Liberal Democrat
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
and the fifth generation of the Sinclair family to represent the Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
area in the House of Commons.
Education, family and non-political career
John Sinclair was educated in ThursoThurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
and at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. Thurso joined the Savoy Group as a management trainee in 1972 and following this worked for many years in the hospitality industry. His achievements included managing the Lancaster in Paris (1981–85) and founding the hotel at Cliveden
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
(1985–92) before becoming CEO of Granfel Holdings, owners of East Sussex National Golf Course from 1992 to 1995. Finally from 1995 until his election to parliament in 2001 he was CEO of the Champneys
Champneys
Champneys is the brand name of a destination spa group in the United Kingdom. Champneys Health Resorts Group own four spa resorts and has become one of the largest destination spa operators in the world...
group. During his time in this job he featured in the TV documentary Trouble at the Top - Shape up with Lord Thurso
Trouble at the Top
Trouble at the Top was a business-based BBC television fly on the wall documentary broadcast on BBC2.A spin off four-part series, Trouble at the Big Top, followed developments at the Millennium Dome in a similar style....
.
John Thurso comes from a family of Liberal politicians. The former constituency of Caithness and Sutherland
Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness and Sutherland was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
had been held by his grandfather, Archibald Sinclair
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
from 1922 until 1945. Archibald Sinclair was the 1st Viscount Thurso
Viscount Thurso
Viscount Thurso, of Ulbster in the County of Caithness, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1952 for the Scottish Liberal politician and former Secretary of State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, 4th Baronet. His son, the second Viscount, served as Lord Lieutenant of...
and a Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
leader. Thurso has been married to Marion for 26 years and they have a daughter and two sons. The family live in Thurso, Caithness.
John Thurso holds the Presidency of the Tourism Society and the Academy of Food and Wine Service. He is a Fellow of the HCIMA and was their Patron for six years, until June 2003. He is President of the British International Spa Association. He is a Trustee of the Clan Sinclair Trust
Clan Sinclair Trust
The Clan Sinclair Trust is a Scottish trust which was formed with the main objective of rescuing and preserving Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and of developing a visitor centre and library. The Chief Executive is Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness and John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso and are...
. He is Patron of the Bluebell Railway 50th Anniversary Appeal.
Political career
Following his father’s death in 1995 he took his seat in the House of Lords as 3rd Viscount Thurso where he was spokesman on Tourism and later Food. Thurso spoke many times in the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in favour of Lords reform
Lords Reform
For more than a century, governments in the United Kingdom have attempted to find a way to undertake a comprehensive reform of the House of Lords, which is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. His automatic right as a hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
to sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
was abolished in 1999, and he did not attempt to remain. At the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
he was elected to the House of Commons to represent Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
becoming the first British hereditary peer allowed to sit in the Commons without first disclaiming his title. He served as Liberal Democrat Shadow
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
Scotland Secretary
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
under Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
but was sacked by Sir Menzies Campbell. He has publicly gone against party policy by declaring his support for nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, and his criticism of 24-hour drinking
Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act of 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies only to England and Wales. The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises which are used for the sale or supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment, or to provide late night...
and wind power.
External links
- John Thurso MP official site
- Profile at the Liberal Democrats
- Profile at the Scottish Liberal Democrats