THORPE RUMOUR Wilson blames South African interests

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34099, 11 March 1976, Page 17

THORPE RUMOUR Wilson blames South African interests

(N.Z.P A -Heuter—Copyright) LONDON, March 10. The British Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) has alleged that South African business interests and private agents were connected with recent events threatening the political future of the Liberal Party leader. Mr Jeremy Thorpe.

Mr Wilson caused astonishment in the House of Commons tx'hen he made the allegation in response to a question from a Lubour Party back-bencher, Mr James vVellbeloved. Mr ihorpe’s continued leadership of the Liberal Party has been brought into question since a" ‘unsubstantiated allegation by a former ;male model, Mr Norman ; Scott, that he once had a ’sexual relationship with the political!. Mr Thorne has strongly) denied the allegation, and( his denial has been readily ( accepted by the party. ’ He has always been an| (outspoken critic of South! ’Africa’s apartheid policies. j ; Mr Weilbeloved asked Mr] (Wilson if he would take up! (with the United Nations Sec-! ! retary-General (Di Wald-1 : heim) “the activities of the (South African agents in (countries such as Britain,” (and whether South Africans (had “helped in the framing (of Liberal Party members.”

I Mr Wilson replied: “I (have no doubt a. all that there is a strong South African participation in recent activities relating to the leader of the Liberal Party, based on massive reserves of business money and private agents of various kinds and various Qualities. “But I have no evidence at all that the South African (Government, or its agents, ’have any connection with (these unsavoury activities." ; One of Mr Thorpe’s prin(cipai colleagues, Mr John

Pardoe, asked Mr Wilson to elaborate on his “extremely serious and important statement.” Mr Wilson, rejecting a suggestion by Mr Pardoe that South African securityforces were involved, replied: “1 was referring to seme very strong and heavily-financed private mas-ter-minding of certain political operations. “Anyone in this House concerned with democracy ’ will feel revolted by the fact that we are going to have to i face this thing in our couni try,”

I The Prime Minister also; | referred to suggestions that { (South African agents might’ ‘ have been involved in sev- I (eral break-ins at the London; ‘homes, offices, and hotel’ (rooms of members of “liber-’ lation” movements in south-! ern Africa. Twice in the last. 12: months visiting officials of 1 the South-West African! People’s Organisation have i reported burglaries at their’ London hotel rooms, and! papers and files being dis-| turbed. The Libera! Party recently! reported the loss of a file on . Mr Thorpe from a party! member’s office in the Commons. The current issue of “Police," the official journal of the British Police Force, carries a long leading article strongly condemning what it describes as the victimisa- ! tion of Mr Thorpe by people (intent on ending his political 'career.