Jeremy Thorpe: A Dazzingly Talented Man

Television dramatisation of the events which led to the downfall of the charismatic and flamboyant Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe has restored his name to the media headlines from which it was rarely absent in his political prime. Despite being acquitted on charges of conspiracy and incitement to murder during a sensational trial at the Old Bailey in 1979, Thorpe was subsequently excluded from all political and public life – a fate described by one political commentator as ‘infamous and unfair.” The consequences of an alleged homosexual affair (at a time when such acts were illegal) has coloured and distorted perceptions of man described as a stylish, progressive and popular politician, with a deep lifetime commitment to classic liberal principles. His leadership of the Liberals laid the foundation for the revival of a party which was on the verge of extinction when he first entered political life. Philip Dalling explores the life of a man respected and admired by friend and opponent alike, whose name is still revered in the West Country constituency of North Devon (which he placed firmly on the political map), and whose name still resonates in national politics to this day.