| The Right Honourable The Viscount Thurso MP |
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Member of Parliament
for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 June 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Maclennan |
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| Majority | 8,168 (29.5%) |
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| Born | 10 September 1953 Thurso, Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse(s) | Marion |
| Children | 1 daughter, 2 sons |
John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso (born 10 September 1953), known as John Thurso, is a Scottish businessman and Liberal Democrat politician, currently serving as the Liberal Democrat spokesman for Business, Innovation and Skills. He is the fifth generation of the Sinclair family to represent the Caithness area in the House of Commons.
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Education, pre-Parliamentary career and responsibilities
John Sinclair was educated in Thurso and at Eton.
He 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 (81-85) and founding the hotel at Cliveden (85-92) before becoming CEO of Granfel Holdings, owners of East Sussex National Golf Course from 1992 to 1995. Finally from 1995 until his election 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 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.[1]
He is a Trustee of the Clan Sinclair Trust.
Politics
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 Lords 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 hereditary peer of the United Kingdom allowed to sit in the Commons without first renouncing 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.
Family
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.
See also
References
External links
- John Thurso MP official site
- John Thurso MP profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- John Thurso MP The Viscount Thurso profile at the site of Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: John Thurso MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - John Thurso MP
- The Public Whip - John Thurso MP voting record
- BBC News - John Thurso profile 10 February 2005
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Maclennan |
Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 2001–present |
Incumbent |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Robin MacDonald Sinclair |
Viscount Thurso 1995–present |
Incumbent |
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