John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso, PC (born 10 September 1953), known also as John Thurso, is a Scottish businessman, 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.
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 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 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 – Shape up with Lord Thurso.
House of Commonsedit
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.[1] At the 2001 general election, he was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
Thurso holds the presidencies of The Tourism Society[9] and the Academy of Food and Wine Service.[10] 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.[11] On 7 March 2016, it was announced that Lord Thurso would become the chair of VisitScotland.[12]
Personal lifeedit
Thurso comes from a family of Liberal parliamentarians. The former constituency of Caithness and Sutherland had been held by his grandfather, Archibald Sinclair, from 1922 until 1945. Archibald Sinclair was the 1st Viscount Thurso and a 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.
A Star of six points waved Argent rising from a Cloud Proper
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: Ad Astra Virtus (Virtue knows no bounds); below the Arms: J'Aime Le Meilleur (I love the best)
^"Lord Lieutenant for Caithness: Viscount Thurso". 10 Downing Street. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
^www.directtourismservices.co.uk, Direct Tourism Services -. . www.tourismsociety.org. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
^"Academy of Food and Wine Service – The Academy is the Professional body for Front of House Service Personnel". www.afws.co.uk.
^. spaassociation.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009.
^"John Thurso to chair VisitScotland". BBC News. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
john, thurso, john, archibald, sinclair, viscount, thurso, born, september, 1953, known, also, scottish, businessman, liberal, democrat, politician, hereditary, peer, notable, having, served, house, lords, both, before, after, period, house, commons, right, ho. John Archibald Sinclair 3rd Viscount Thurso PC born 10 September 1953 known also as John Thurso is a Scottish businessman 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 The Right HonourableThe Viscount ThursoPCOfficial portrait 2018Chair of the Finance and Services CommitteeIn office 6 May 2010 8 May 2015Preceded byStuart BellSucceeded byNick BrownMember of the House of LordsLord Temporalas a hereditary peer 31 October 1995 11 November 1999Preceded byThe 2nd Viscount ThursoSucceeded bySeat abolished a Incumbentas an elected hereditary peer a 19 April 2016Preceded byThe Lord AveburyMember of Parliamentfor Caithness Sutherland and Easter RossIn office 7 June 2001 30 March 2015Preceded byRobert MaclennanSucceeded byPaul MonaghanLiberal Democrat portfolios2003 2005Transport2008 2010Business Innovation and SkillsPersonal detailsBornJohn Archibald Sinclair 1953 09 10 10 September 1953 age 70 Thurso Caithness ScotlandPolitical partyLiberal DemocratsSpouseMarion SageChildren1 daughter 2 sonsEducationEton College 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 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 MP for 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 general election by the Scottish National Party SNP candidate 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 remaining Liberal Democrat hereditary peers He became chair of VisitScotland in 2016 and later became Lord Lieutenant of Caithness in 2017 Contents 1 Education and early career 2 House of Commons 3 Return to the House of Lords and later career 4 Personal life 5 Arms 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksEducation and early career edit nbsp 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 Shape up with Lord Thurso House of Commons editFollowing 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 1 At the 2001 general election he was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross He served as Liberal Democrat Scotland spokesperson under Charles Kennedy 2 but was sacked by Sir Menzies Campbell He has publicly gone against party policy by declaring his support for nuclear power 3 and by his criticism of 24 hour drinking and wind power Lord Thurso was sworn of the Privy Council in 2014 4 He lost his Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross seat at the 2015 general election to Paul Monaghan of the Scottish National Party SNP However Lord Thurso had a good result in comparison with many 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 his seat at that year s general election Return to the House of Lords and later career editFollowing the 2015 general election Thurso became a board member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority 5 In April 2016 he won a by election to fill a vacancy in the House of Lords following the death of Lord Avebury 6 He won the support of all of the three members who were eligible to vote 6 In 2017 Thurso was appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Caithness 7 8 Thurso holds the presidencies of The Tourism Society 9 and the Academy of Food and Wine Service 10 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 11 On 7 March 2016 it was announced that Lord Thurso would become the chair of VisitScotland 12 Personal life editThurso comes from a family of Liberal parliamentarians The former constituency of Caithness and Sutherland had been held by his grandfather Archibald Sinclair from 1922 until 1945 Archibald Sinclair was the 1st Viscount Thurso and a 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 station Thurso carried out the ceremonial renaming of the Battle of Britain class locomotive named after his grandfather Sir Archibald Sinclair Secretary of State for Air during that battle 13 Arms editCoat of arms of John Thurso nbsp nbsp Coronet A Viscount s coronet Crest A Star of six points waved Argent rising from a Cloud Proper 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 Ad Astra Virtus Virtue knows no bounds below the Arms J Aime Le Meilleur I love the best See also editLiberal Democrat Frontbench Team Clan SinclairNotes edit a b Under the House of Lords Act 1999 References edit Parkinson Justin 22 February 2011 John Thurso The hereditary peer who became an MP BBC News Retrieved 29 December 2011 Uncredited 3 November 2001 Kennedy boosts his frontbench team The Scotsman Retrieved 29 December 2011 Edwards Rob 5 March 2006 Nuclear power splitting the LibDems and Labour Sunday Herald Retrieved 29 December 2011 Lord Thurso was sworn of the Privy Council in 2014 gov uk accessed 8 May 2015 ISPA Board members Archived from the original on 15 November 2021 Retrieved 8 March 2016 a b Former Lib Dem MP John Thurso to return to House of Lords BBC News BBC 19 April 2016 Retrieved 19 April 2016 Profile burkespeerage com accessed 8 May 2015 Lord Lieutenant for Caithness Viscount Thurso 10 Downing Street 17 August 2017 Retrieved 21 August 2017 www directtourismservices co uk Direct Tourism Services The Tourism Society People in all the right places www tourismsociety org Archived from the original on 18 April 2021 Retrieved 8 July 2012 Academy of Food and Wine Service The Academy is the Professional body for Front of House Service Personnel www afws co uk BISA Council and Associates spaassociation org uk Archived from the original on 5 January 2009 John Thurso to chair VisitScotland BBC News 7 March 2016 Retrieved 8 March 2016 Profile bulleidsociety org accessed 8 May 2015 External links editJohn Thurso MP official site Profile at the Liberal Democrats Profile at the Scottish Liberal Democrats Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom Contributions in Parliament at Hansard Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803 2005 Voting record at Public Whip Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou Peerage of the United Kingdom Preceded byRobin Sinclair Viscount Thurso1995 present Member of the House of Lords 1995 1999 IncumbentHeir apparent Hon James Sinclair Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byRobert Maclennan Member of Parliament for Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross2001 2015 Succeeded byPaul Monaghan Preceded byThe Lord Avebury Elected hereditary peer to the House of Lordsunder the House of Lords Act 19992016 present Incumbent Party political offices Preceded byTom Brake Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson2003 2005 Succeeded byDon Foster Preceded bySarah Teather Liberal Democrat Business Innovation and Skills Spokesperson2008 2010 Succeeded byVince Cable 2015 Honorary titles Preceded byAnne Dunnett Lord Lieutenant of Caithness2017 present Incumbent Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Thurso amp oldid 1219460105, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
