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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| as a hereditary peer 31 October 1995 – 11 November 1999 |
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| Preceded by | The 2nd Viscount Thurso |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| as an elected hereditary peer 19 April 2016 |
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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 (part of the UK Parliament) both before and after being a member of the House of Commons.
John Thurso was born into the important Sinclair family. He went to Eton College for his education. After school, he worked in the tourism and hotel business for many years. He first joined Parliament in 1995 as a "hereditary peer" in the House of Lords. A hereditary peer is someone who has the right to be in the House of Lords because of their family title. He served until 1999. Most hereditary peers were removed from Parliament after a new law called the House of Lords Act 1999.
In 2001, Thurso was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. This meant he was the fifth person from the Sinclair family to represent the Caithness area in the House of Commons. He was an MP until 2015, when he lost his seat in the election. While in the House of Commons, he led the Finance and Services Committee from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, John Thurso returned to the House of Lords. He won a special election to fill a spot for one of the remaining Liberal Democrat hereditary peers. He also became the head of VisitScotland in 2016 and the Lord Lieutenant of Caithness in 2017.
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Early Life and Career
John Archibald Sinclair was born into the well-known Sinclair family. He grew up in the Scottish town of Thurso and later studied at 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 a 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 a golf course, from 1992 to 1995. Before he became an MP in 2001, he was the CEO of the Champneys Group. During this time, he was featured in a TV show called Trouble at the Top – Shape up with Lord Thurso.
Serving in the House of Lords
After his father passed away in 1995, John Thurso became the 3rd Viscount Thurso. This meant he took his place in the House of Lords. In the House of Lords, he spoke for his party on topics like tourism and food. John Thurso often spoke about wanting to change the House of Lords. In 1999, his automatic right to be in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer was removed by a new law. He did not try to stay in the House of Lords at that time.
Serving in the House of Commons
In the 2001 general election, John Thurso was elected to the House of Commons. He became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
He worked as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Scotland for a while. In 2014, he became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the King. In the 2015 general election, he lost his seat to Paul Monaghan. Paul Monaghan was from the Scottish National Party (SNP). Even though he lost, John Thurso did quite well compared to many other Liberal Democrat candidates in that election.
Return to the House of Lords
After the 2015 general election, John 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 happened after another member, Lord Avebury, passed away. He received support from all three members who could vote in that election. In 2017, John Thurso was given the role of Lord Lieutenant of Caithness. This is a special representative of the King in the Caithness area.
John 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). He was also the president of the British International Spa Association. In March 2016, it was announced that he would become the head of VisitScotland, which promotes tourism in Scotland.
Family Life
John Thurso comes from a family with a history in politics. His grandfather, Archibald Sinclair, was also a Member of Parliament for the Caithness and Sutherland area from 1922 to 1945. Archibald Sinclair was the 1st Viscount Thurso and a leader of the Liberal Party.
John Thurso is married to Marion, and they have one daughter and two sons. The family lives in Thurso, Caithness.
He is also a supporter of the Bluebell Railway. In 2009, he took part in a ceremony to rename a special train engine. This engine was named after his grandfather, Sir Archibald Sinclair, who was the Secretary of State for Air during a famous battle.
See also
- Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
- Clan Sinclair
Images for kids
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A Viscount's coronet
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The Coat of Arms of Viscount Thurso
