Thorpe cash inquiry

Press, 20 September 1978, Page 8

Thorpe cash inquiry

NZPA London The small British Liberal Party has announced it has begun an inquiry into how its former leader, Jeremy Thorpe, spent election funds of £49,000 ($89,000) given by a British millionaire.

The former party treasurer, Philip Watkins, said Mr Thorpe, who led the party from 1967 until 1976, received the money from the Bahamas-based millionaire. Jack Hayward, in 1974 and 1975 and appeared to have spent it without telling any other Liberal officials.

The rest of the party did not find out about the affair until July this year when Mr Hayward inquired about how the cash had been used and said he had paid it in response to a personal request from Mr Thorpe for funds to cover election expenses, said Mr Watkins.

Mr Thorpe faces charges of conspiracy to murder and incitement to murder a former male model, Norman Scott, who has alleged he had a homosexual relationship with the former Liberal chief. Mr Thorpe made a brief but controversial appearance at the Liberal Party’s annual conference in north-west England last Thursday.