View source for John Thurso

{{Short description|Scottish nobleman and Liberal Democrat politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name             = The Viscount Thurso
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|PC}}
| image            = Official portrait of Viscount Thurso crop 2.jpg
| caption          = Official portrait, 2018
| office           = Chair of the [[Finance and Services Committee]]
| term_start       = 6 May 2010
| term_end         = 8 May 2015
| predecessor      = [[Stuart Bell]]
| successor        = [[Nick Brown]]
| office1          = [[Member of the House of Lords]]
| status1          = [[Lord Temporal]]
| term_start1      = 31 October 1995
| term_end1        = 11 November 1999<br>as a [[hereditary peer]]
| predecessor1     = [[Robin Sinclair, 2nd Viscount Thurso|The 2nd Viscount Thurso]]
| successor1       = {{thin space|''Seat abolished''|{{efn|name=hla1999|Pursuant to the [[House of Lords Act 1999]].}}}}
| term_start2      = 19 April 2016<br>as an {{thin space|[[List of excepted hereditary peers|elected hereditary peer]]|{{efn|name=hla1999}}}}
| term_end2        = 
| predecessor2     = [[Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury|The Lord Avebury]]
| successor2       = 
| constituency_MP3 = [[Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)|Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross]]
| term_start3      = 7 June 2001
| term_end3        = 30 March 2015
| predecessor3     = [[Robert Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart|Robert Maclennan]]
| successor3       = [[Paul Monaghan (politician)|Paul Monaghan]]
| title4           = Liberal Democrat portfolios
| suboffice4       = [[Department for Transport|Transport]]
| subterm4         = 2003–2005
| suboffice5       = [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills|Business, Innovation and Skills]]
| subterm5         = 2008–2010
| birth_name       = John Archibald Sinclair
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1953|9|10|df=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Thurso]], [[Caithness]], Scotland
| death_date       =
| death_place      =
| spouse           = Marion Sage
| party            = [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
| children         = 1 daughter, 2 sons
| education        = [[Eton College]]
}}
'''John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso''' (born 10 September 1953), known also as '''John Thurso''', is a Scottish businessman, [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] politician and [[hereditary peer]] who is notable for having served in the [[House of Lords]] both before and after a period in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. 

Born to the [[Sinclair family]], Lord Thurso was educated at [[Eton College]] before entering management roles in the tourism and hospitality industry. He first joined [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] in the House of Lords as a [[hereditary peer]] in 1995 and served until 1999, when he was among the majority of hereditary peers who were removed from Parliament following the [[House of Lords Act 1999]].

Thurso was elected [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)|Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross]] at the 2001 general election, becoming the fifth generation of the Sinclair family to represent the [[Caithness]] area in the House of Commons. He held the seat until he was defeated at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] by the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) candidate, [[Paul Monaghan (politician)|Paul Monaghan]]. During his time serving in the Commons, Lord Thurso was chair of the [[Finance and Services Committee]] from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, Thurso returned to the House of Lords after winning a by-election to fill a vacancy among the [[List of excepted hereditary peers#Elected by the Liberal Democrats hereditary peers|remaining Liberal Democrat hereditary peers]]. He became chair of [[VisitScotland]] in 2016 and later became [[Lord Lieutenant of Caithness]] in 2017.

==Education and early career==
[[Image:Ancient Hunting Sinclair.JPG|thumb|left|Ancient hunting tartan of [[Clan Sinclair]].]]
Thurso was born as John Archibald Sinclair to the high-profile [[Sinclair family]] and was educated in the Scottish town of [[Thurso]] and then at [[Eton College]]. He joined the Savoy Group as a management trainee in 1972, and worked for many years in the tourism and hospitality industry. He was a manager at the Lancaster Hotel in Paris (1981–1985) and founded the hotel at [[Cliveden]] (1985–1992) before becoming CEO of Granfel Holdings, owners of East Sussex National Golf Course (1992–1995). 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|Trouble at the Top – Shape up with Lord Thurso]]''.
==Initial period in the House of Lords==
Following his father's death in 1995, he took his seat in the [[House of Lords]] as the 3rd Viscount Thurso, where he became spokesman on tourism and later on food matters. 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 in that capacity.<ref>{{cite web |last=Parkinson |first=Justin |title=John Thurso: The hereditary peer who became an MP |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12419022 |work=BBC News |access-date=29 December 2011 |date=22 February 2011}}</ref>

==House of Commons==
At the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]], he was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for [[Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)|Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross]].

He served as Liberal Democrat Scotland spokesperson under [[Charles Kennedy]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Uncredited |title=Kennedy boosts his frontbench team |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/kennedy_boosts_his_frontbench_team_1_582679 |work=The Scotsman |access-date=29 December 2011 |date=3 November 2001}}</ref> but was sacked by [[Sir Menzies Campbell]]. He has publicly gone against party policy by declaring his support for [[nuclear power]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Rob |title=Nuclear power: splitting the LibDems and Labour |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/access/997967111.html?dids=997967111:997967111&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+05%2C+2006&author=INVESTIGATION+By+Rob+Edwards+Environment+Editor&pub=Sunday+Herald&desc=Nuclear+power%3A+splitting+the+LibDems+and+Labour+ENERGY%3A+FISSIONS+ENERGY%3A+FISSIONS+Row+over+lobbyist%27s+funding+as+MP+threatens+to+quit+post&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201060824/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/access/997967111.html?dids=997967111:997967111&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+05,+2006&author=INVESTIGATION+By+Rob+Edwards+Environment+Editor&pub=Sunday+Herald&desc=Nuclear+power:+splitting+the+LibDems+and+Labour+ENERGY:+FISSIONS+ENERGY:+FISSIONS+Row+over+lobbyist's+funding+as+MP+threatens+to+quit+post&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 February 2013 |work=Sunday Herald |access-date=29 December 2011 |date=5 March 2006}}</ref> and by his criticism of [[Licensing Act 2003|24-hour drinking]] and [[wind power]].

Lord Thurso was sworn of the [[Privy Council]] in 2014.<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/privy-council-appointments-july-2014 Lord Thurso was sworn of the Privy Council in 2014], gov.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.</ref> He lost his [[Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)|Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross]] seat at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] to [[Paul Monaghan (politician)|Paul Monaghan]] of the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP). However, Lord Thurso had a good result in comparison with many [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] candidates. Only four Scottish Liberal Democrat candidates were closer to winning their seats, including [[Alistair Carmichael]], who was the only Liberal Democrat candidate in Scotland to retain [[Orkney and Shetland (UK Parliament constituency)|his seat]] at that year's general election.

== Return to the House of Lords and later career ==
Following the 2015 general election, Thurso became a board member of the [[Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://parliamentarystandards.org.uk/About%20Us/Pages/Board-members-and-chief-executive.aspx |title=ISPA Board members |access-date=8 March 2016 |archive-date=15 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115094820/http://parliamentarystandards.org.uk/About%20Us/Pages/Board-members-and-chief-executive.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> In April 2016, he won a [[By-elections to the House of Lords|by-election]] to fill a vacancy in the House of Lords following the death of [[Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury|Lord Avebury]].<ref name="lords byelec">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36084455 |title=Former Lib Dem MP John Thurso to return to House of Lords |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=19 April 2016 |access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> He won the support of all of the three members who were eligible to vote.<ref name="lords byelec" /> In 2017, Thurso was appointed as [[Lord Lieutenant of Caithness]].<ref>[http://www.burkespeerage.com/ Profile], burkespeerage.com; accessed 8 May 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-for-caithness-viscount-thurso |title=Lord Lieutenant for Caithness: Viscount Thurso |publisher=10 Downing Street |date=17 August 2017 |access-date=21 August 2017}}</ref>

Thurso holds the presidencies of The Tourism Society<ref>{{cite web |last=www.directtourismservices.co.uk |first=Direct Tourism Services - |title=The Tourism Society – People in all the right places |url=http://www.tourismsociety.org/ |website=www.tourismsociety.org |access-date=8 July 2012 |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418150115/http://tourismsociety.org/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Academy of Food and Wine Service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Academy of Food and Wine Service – The Academy is the Professional body for Front of House Service Personnel |url=http://www.afws.co.uk/ |website=www.afws.co.uk}}</ref> He is a [[fellow]] of the [[Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality]] (HCIMA) (FIH) and served as its [[Patron]] for six years, until June 2003. He was President of the British International Spa Association.<ref>{{cite web |title=BISA Council and Associates |url=http://www.spaassociation.org.uk/bisa/council-and-associates |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105173327/http://www.spaassociation.org.uk/bisa/council-and-associates |archive-date=5 January 2009 |publisher=spaassociation.org.uk}}</ref> On 7 March 2016, it was announced that Lord Thurso would become the chair of [[VisitScotland]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=John Thurso to chair VisitScotland |work=BBC News |date=7 March 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-35744760 |access-date=8 March 2016}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Thurso comes from a family of Liberal parliamentarians. The former constituency of [[Caithness and Sutherland (UK Parliament constituency)|Caithness and Sutherland]] had been held by his grandfather, [[Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso|Archibald Sinclair]], from 1922 until 1945. Archibald Sinclair was the 1st [[Viscount Thurso]] and a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] leader. Thurso has been married to Marion for 26 years and they have a daughter and two sons. The family live at Thurso, Caithness.

As a patron of the [[Bluebell Railway]] 50th Anniversary Appeal, on 24 April 2009, at the railway's [[Horsted Keynes railway station|Horsted Keynes station]] Thurso carried out the ceremonial renaming of the [[SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes|Battle of Britain class]] locomotive named after his grandfather, [[Sir Archibald Sinclair]], [[Secretary of State for Air]] during that battle.<ref>[http://www.bulleidsociety.org/34059/34059_Renaming.html Profile] bulleidsociety.org; accessed 8 May 2015.</ref>

==Arms==
{{Emblem table
|image = [[File:Coronet of a British Viscount.svg|170px|centre]] [[File:Arms of Sinclair, Viscount Thurso.svg|200px|centre]] 
|crest = A Star of six points waved Argent rising from a Cloud Proper
|coronet = A [[Coronet|Viscount]]'s coronet
|escutcheon = Quarterly: 1st, Azure a Ship at anchor her Oars erect in saltire within the Royal Tressure Or; 2nd and 3rd, Or a Lion rampant Gules; 4th, Azure a Ship under sail Or; over all dividing the quarters a Cross engrailed quarterly Argent and Sable all within a Bordure quartered Or and Gules the Last charged with three Stars of the First
|supporters = On either side a Red Deer Proper
|motto = Above the [[Crest (heraldry)|Crest]]: Ad Astra Virtus (''Virtue knows no bounds''); below the [[Coat of Arms|Arms]]: J'Aime Le Meilleur (''I love the best'')}}

==See also==
*[[Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team]]
*[[Clan Sinclair]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.johnthurso.org/ John Thurso MP] official site
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081029012954/http://www.libdems.org.uk/people/john-thurso Profile] at the Liberal Democrats
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090227214943/http://scotlibdems.org.uk/people/mps/thurso Profile] at the Scottish Liberal Democrats
*{{UK MP links |parliament=john-thurso/1399 |hansardcurr=4286 |hansard=viscount-thurso |guardian=6594/john-thurso |publicwhip=John_Thurso |theywork=john_thurso |record=John-Thurso/Caithness-Sutherland-and-Easter-Ross/1127 |bbc=25277.stm |journalisted= }}

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{{Current Liberal Democrat peers}}
{{Current British viscounts}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thurso, John}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Thurso]]
[[Category:Nobility from Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) hereditary peers]]
[[Category:Lord-lieutenants of Caithness]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century Scottish businesspeople]]
[[Category:Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs]]
[[Category:Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom|Thurso, John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001–2005]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005–2010]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2010–2015]]
[[Category:UK MPs who inherited peerages]]
[[Category:Hereditary peers elected to the House of Commons]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Highland constituencies]]
[[Category:Scottish people of American descent]]
[[Category:Clan Sinclair|John]]
[[Category:Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999|Thurso]]
[[Category:Hereditary peers removed under the House of Lords Act 1999|Thurso]]