John Thurso entered Parliament at his first attempt in 2001, holding this seat for the Liberal Democrats
John Thurso was educated at Eton and Westminster Technical College; he joined the Savoy Group as a management trainee in 1972. He has had a distinguished career in the hospitality industry, managing the Lancaster in Paris [1981-85] and founding Cliveden [1985-92] before becoming CEO of Granfel Holdings, owners of East Sussex National Golf Course [1992-95]. From 1995 until his election to Parliament he was CEO of the Champneys group. John retains his links with the industry through his Presidency of the Tourism Society and the Academy of Food and Wine Service. He is a Fellow and former Patron of the HCIMA. His other roles in public life include: Chair of Thurso Fisheries and of Lochdu Hotels; President of the Tourism Society, and Patron of the Institute of Management Services and of the Keepers of the Quaich.
Coming from an old Liberal family (his grandfather was Sir Archibald Sinclair, party leader 1935-45 and Air Minister in the wartime coalition), John has always had a keen interest in politics. In 1995 he took his seat in the House of Lords where he was spokesman on Tourism and later Food. He was a Highland list candidate in 1999. John spoke many times in the House of Lords in favour of Lords reform and following the 1999 Act, chose not to try and stay. He is the first and only hereditary peer to have been elected to the Commons having previously sat in the Lords.
As an MP his work on local issues includes: campaigning for the development of renewable energy in the Highlands and for local Post Offices.
He was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland [2001-06] and took on the additional role of Shadow Secretary of State for Transport [2003-05]; he was a member of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee [2001-05]. He is currently a member of the Administration Committee and the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. John was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in Nick Clegg's October 2008 shadow cabinet restructure.
