Peter Thurnham
Encyclopedia
Peter Giles Thurnham was a British
politician. He was Member of Parliament
for Bolton North East from 1983 to 1997, originally as a Conservative
before resigning to become an independent in February 1996 and then a Liberal Democrat
in October 1996.
, where he worked for Brooke Bond
, and his mother was a physiotherapist. Thurnham spent much of his early life in southern India, before being educated at Eversley Preparatory School and Oundle School
. He won a scholarship to read engineering at Peterhouse, Cambridge
, and received an advanced diploma in engineering from Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1967, and then an MBA from Harvard Business School
in 1969. He became a design engineer at NEI Parsons in Newcastle until 1966, and then a director at British Steam Specialties until 1972.
He married his first wife in 1963, he moved to Leicester
in 1972 and established a refrigeration and air conditioning company, which grew to become the Wathes group of companies and later WR Group Holdings. He became a member of South Lakeland Council in 1982, and was elected as Member of Parliament
in the new constituency of Bolton North East at the 1983 general election
, defeating the Labour
candidate Ann Taylor
who had until the election represented Bolton West
. He lived in Kendal
while he was an MP, with his wife taking charge of his company. He was noted for his very strong support for the Abortion Act 1967
and for embryo research, and was a founder member of the Progress campaign group which promotes IVF. He became Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Secretary of State for Employment
Norman Fowler
from 1987 to 1990, and was then PPS to both Eric Forth
and Robert Jackson
in 1991 to 1992, and finally to Secretary of State for the Environment
Michael Howard
(his contemporary at Peterhouse) from 1992 to 1993. He never secured ministerial office, but became a party whip.
Bolton North East was a highly marginal seat, which Thurnham held by a wafer thin majority of 813 at the 1987 general election
, reduced even further to only 185 at the 1992 general election
, and subsequent boundary changes made his position worse. He first indicated that he would stand down at the next election, but instead put his name forward for the safer seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale
. Thurnham was not interviewed, and Tim Collins
- formerly an aide to John Major
- was selected as the Conservative candidate instead. Thurnham resigned the Conservative party whip in February 1996, reducing John Major
's majority in Parliament to two. At the time, Thurnham indicated that this was because of his dismay at the Scott Report
and the Nolan Report
, but subsequently chose to cross the floor to join the Liberal Democrats
in October 1996. He did not contest the seat at the 1997 general election
.
After leaving the House of Commons, he was chairman of WR Group Holdings. He also ran a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm.
He had a son and three daughters with his first wife, and they also adopted a son with cerebral palsy
. They were divorced in 2004. He died of pancreatic cancer
at home in Bentham, North Yorkshire, hours after marrying his second wife, Carole Emery. He was aged 69.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician. He was 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,...
for Bolton North East from 1983 to 1997, originally as a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
before resigning to become an independent in February 1996 and then a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
in October 1996.
Biography
Thurnham was born in Staines, Middlesex. His father was a tea planter in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where he worked for Brooke Bond
Brooke Bond
Brooke Bond is a brand-name of tea owned by Unilever, formerly an independent manufacturer in the United Kingdom, known for its PG Tips brand and its Brooke Bond tea cards.- History :...
, and his mother was a physiotherapist. Thurnham spent much of his early life in southern India, before being educated at Eversley Preparatory School and Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School is a co-educational British public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day...
. He won a scholarship to read engineering at Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
, and received an advanced diploma in engineering from Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1967, and then an MBA from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
in 1969. He became a design engineer at NEI Parsons in Newcastle until 1966, and then a director at British Steam Specialties until 1972.
He married his first wife in 1963, he moved to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
in 1972 and established a refrigeration and air conditioning company, which grew to become the Wathes group of companies and later WR Group Holdings. He became a member of South Lakeland Council in 1982, and was elected as 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,...
in the new constituency of Bolton North East at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, defeating the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton
Winifred Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was Minister for International Defence and Security, based at both the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from October 2008 until 11 May 2010.-Member of Parliament:Taylor was the...
who had until the election represented Bolton West
Bolton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Bolton West is a county constituency represented in 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...
. He lived in Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
while he was an MP, with his wife taking charge of his company. He was noted for his very strong support for the Abortion Act 1967
Abortion Act 1967
The Abortion Act 1967 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom legalising abortions by registered practitioners, and regulating the free provision of such medical practices through the National Health Service ....
and for embryo research, and was a founder member of the Progress campaign group which promotes IVF. He became Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Secretary of State for Employment
Secretary of State for Employment
The Secretary of State for Employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In 1995 it was merged with Secretary of State for Education to make the Secretary of State for Education and Employment...
Norman Fowler
Norman Fowler
Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler, PC is a British Conservative politician who was from 1981 to 1990 a member of Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet.-Early life:...
from 1987 to 1990, and was then PPS to both Eric Forth
Eric Forth
Eric Forth was a British politician. He was the Conservative Member of the European Parliament for Birmingham North, then Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire and finally Bromley and Chislehurst at his death. He served as a junior minister in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John...
and Robert Jackson
Robert V. Jackson
Robert Victor Jackson is a politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1984 and Member of Parliament for Wantage from 1983 to 2005, having been elected as a Conservative; however, he joined the Labour Party in 2005.-Early life:He was raised in...
in 1991 to 1992, and finally to Secretary of State for the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
(his contemporary at Peterhouse) from 1992 to 1993. He never secured ministerial office, but became a party whip.
Bolton North East was a highly marginal seat, which Thurnham held by a wafer thin majority of 813 at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, reduced even further to only 185 at the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, and subsequent boundary changes made his position worse. He first indicated that he would stand down at the next election, but instead put his name forward for the safer seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale
Westmorland and Lonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Westmorland and Lonsdale is a parliamentary constituency represented in 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:...
. Thurnham was not interviewed, and Tim Collins
Tim Collins (politician)
Timothy William George Collins, CBE, is a British politician, once a prominent member of the Conservative Party. Collins was active in the 1990s and was later the Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale in north-west England from 1997 until defeat at the 2005 general...
- formerly an aide to John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
- was selected as the Conservative candidate instead. Thurnham resigned the Conservative party whip in February 1996, reducing John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's majority in Parliament to two. At the time, Thurnham indicated that this was because of his dismay at the Scott Report
Scott Report
The Scott Report was a judicial inquiry commissioned in 1992 after reports of arms sales in the 1980s to Iraq by British companies surfaced. The report was conducted by Sir Richard Scott, then a Lord Justice of Appeal. It was published in 1996...
and the Nolan Report
Committee on Standards in Public Life
The Committee on Standards in Public Life is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom Government.The Committee on Standards in Public Life is constituted as a standing body with its members appointed for up to three years.-History:...
, but subsequently chose to cross the floor to join the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
in October 1996. He did not contest the seat at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
After leaving the House of Commons, he was chairman of WR Group Holdings. He also ran a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm.
He had a son and three daughters with his first wife, and they also adopted a son with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. They were divorced in 2004. He died of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
at home in Bentham, North Yorkshire, hours after marrying his second wife, Carole Emery. He was aged 69.