How Thorpe’s Very English Scandal grew

1961: Norman Scott, or Norman Josiffe as he then was, turns up at the Commons asking to speak to rising Liberal Party star Jeremy Thorpe about his national insurance card. The pair had previously met briefly at an Oxon riding stables. They struck up a relationship. 1962: Scott goes to police claiming he is having a gay affair with Thorpe. Homosexuality is still illegal. No charges. Scott stays intermittently at Thorpe’s Westminster flat.

1965: Scott is living in Ireland and begins to talk about the affair. Thorpe sends a pal to Dublin to persuade Scott to keep quiet. 1967: Thorpe becomes Liberal leader.

1968: Thorpe marries Caroline Allpass. Scott returns to London and, it is claimed, talks again about the affair. Thorpe begins to talk to friends about having Scott killed. 1970: Thorpe’s wife dies in car crash. 1971: Scott moves to Wales and continues to talk about the affair.

One his pals contacts Emlyn Hooson, then the Liberal MP for Montgomery. Case against Thorpe begins to build but he is cleared by party inquiry.

1975: Dennis Meighan goes to police claiming he was asked to kill Scott and refused. A cover-up allegedly takes place. Andrew Newton hired to carry out the hit but only manages to shoot Scott’s dog Rinka. Scott escapes. Newton is jailed for two years for firearms offences. 1979: Thorpe and accomplices appear at Old Bailey charged with conspiracy to murder. All cleared. 2014: Thorpe dies.

2018: BBC’s A Very English Scandal revives interest in the scandal.