▁by ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁former ▁friends , ▁and ▁never ▁again ▁held ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁public ▁life . ▁Thus , ▁anyone ▁entering ▁politics ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁knew ▁that ▁revel ations ▁of ▁hom osex ual ▁activity ▁would ▁likely ▁bring ▁such ▁a ▁career ▁to ▁a ▁swift ▁end . ▁ ▁Thor pe ▁▁▁ ▁John ▁Jer emy ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁the ▁son ▁and ▁grand son ▁of ▁Conserv ative ▁MP s . ▁He ▁attended ▁E ton , ▁then ▁studied ▁law ▁at ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁where , ▁having ▁decided ▁on ▁a ▁political ▁career , ▁he ▁devoted ▁his ▁main ▁energ ies ▁to ▁making ▁a ▁personal ▁impact ▁rather ▁than ▁to ▁his ▁studies . ▁Re ject ing ▁his ▁Conserv ative ▁background , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁small , ▁cent rist ▁Liberal ▁Party — which ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁was ▁a ▁decl ining ▁force ▁in ▁British ▁politics , ▁but ▁still ▁offered ▁a ▁national ▁platform ▁and ▁a ▁challenge ▁to ▁an ▁am bit ious ▁young ▁politician . ▁He ▁became ▁secretary ▁and ▁eventually ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Oxford ▁Liberal ▁Club , ▁and ▁met ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁party ' s ▁leading ▁figures . ▁In ▁the ▁Hil ary ▁term ▁( J anu ary – M arch ) ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 0 – 5 1 ▁Thor pe ▁served ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Oxford ▁Union . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁while ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁Inner ▁Temple ▁prior ▁to ▁his ▁call ▁to ▁the ▁bar , ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁adopted ▁as ▁pros pective