John Thurso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Viscount Thurso
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Chair of the Finance and Services Committee | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 8 May 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Stuart Bell |
| Succeeded by | Nick Brown |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
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Lord Temporal
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| In office 31 October 1995 – 11 November 1999 as a hereditary peer |
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| Preceded by | The 2nd Viscount Thurso |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Assumed office 19 April 2016 as an elected hereditary peer |
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| Preceded by | The Lord Avebury |
| Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Maclennan |
| Succeeded by | Paul Monaghan |
| Liberal Democrat portfolios | |
| 2003–2005 | Transport |
| 2008–2010 | Business, Innovation and Skills |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Archibald Sinclair
10 September 1953 Thurso, Caithness, Scotland |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse | Marion Sage |
| Children | 1 daughter, 2 sons |
| Education | Eton College |
John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso (born 10 September 1953), also known as John Thurso, is a Scottish businessman and politician. He is a member of the Liberal Democrat party. He is special because he served in the House of Lords (the upper house of the UK Parliament) both before and after being a member of the House of Commons (the lower house).
Lord Thurso was born into the Sinclair family. He went to Eton College for his education. After that, he worked in the tourism and hotel business for many years. He first joined Parliament in the House of Lords in 1995. He was there because he inherited his title, making him a hereditary peer. He served until 1999. At that time, most hereditary peers were removed from Parliament by a new law.
In 2001, John Thurso was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented the area of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. He was the fifth generation of his family to represent the Caithness area in the House of Commons. He held this seat until 2015, when he lost to Paul Monaghan. While in the House of Commons, Lord Thurso led the Finance and Services Committee from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, he returned to the House of Lords. He won a special election to fill a spot for the remaining Liberal Democrat hereditary peers. He also became the head of VisitScotland in 2016 and Lord Lieutenant of Caithness in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Career
John Archibald Sinclair was born into the well-known Sinclair family. He grew up and went to school in the Scottish town of Thurso. Later, he attended Eton College. In 1972, he started working at the Savoy Group as a management trainee. He spent many years working in the tourism and hotel industry.
He was a manager at the Lancaster Hotel in Paris from 1981 to 1985. Then, he started the hotel at Cliveden, managing it from 1985 to 1992. After that, he became the CEO of Granfel Holdings, which owned the East Sussex National Golf Course, from 1992 to 1995. From 1995 until he was elected to Parliament in 2001, he was the CEO of the Champneys Group. During this time, he appeared in a TV show called Trouble at the Top – Shape up with Lord Thurso.
Time in the House of Lords
After his father passed away in 1995, John Thurso became the 3rd Viscount Thurso. He took his seat in the House of Lords. There, he became a spokesperson for tourism and later for food issues. Lord Thurso often spoke in the House of Lords about making changes to the Lords itself. His automatic right to sit in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer ended in 1999. He did not try to stay in that role at the time.
Serving in the House of Commons
In the 2001 general election, John Thurso was elected to the House of Commons. He became the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
He served as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Scotland under Charles Kennedy. However, he was later removed from this role by Sir Menzies Campbell. He has sometimes disagreed with his party's official views. For example, he supported nuclear power. He also criticized 24-hour drinking and wind power.
Lord Thurso became a member of the Privy Council in 2014. This is a group of important advisors to the King. He lost his seat for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross in the 2015 general election. He was defeated by Paul Monaghan from the Scottish National Party (SNP). Even though he lost, Lord Thurso did quite well compared to many other Liberal Democrat candidates that year. Only a few other Scottish Liberal Democrat candidates were closer to winning their seats.
Return to the House of Lords and Other Roles
After the 2015 general election, Lord Thurso joined the board of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. In April 2016, he won a special election to return to the House of Lords. This election filled a spot after Lord Avebury passed away. He received support from all three members who were allowed to vote. In 2017, Lord Thurso was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Caithness. This is a representative of the King in the Caithness area.
Lord Thurso is also the president of The Tourism Society and the Academy of Food and Wine Service. He is a fellow of the Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (HCIMA) (FIH). He was also its Patron for six years until June 2003. He was also the President of the British International Spa Association. On 7 March 2016, it was announced that Lord Thurso would become the chair of VisitScotland. This organization promotes tourism in Scotland.
Personal Life and Family
Lord Thurso comes from a family with a history in politics. His grandfather, Archibald Sinclair, was also a politician. He held the constituency of Caithness and Sutherland from 1922 to 1945. Archibald Sinclair was the 1st Viscount Thurso and a leader of the Liberal Party.
John Thurso has been married to Marion for many years. They have one daughter and two sons. The family lives in Thurso, Caithness.
Lord Thurso is a supporter of the Bluebell Railway. On 24 April 2009, he took part in a special event at the railway's Horsted Keynes station. He officially renamed a train engine that was named after his grandfather, Sir Archibald Sinclair. His grandfather was the Secretary of State for Air during a famous battle.
Images for kids
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A Viscount's coronet
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The Coat of Arms of Sinclair, Viscount Thurso
See also
- Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
- Clan Sinclair
