ined ▁to ▁Mike ▁Ste ele , ▁the ▁party ' s ▁press ▁officer . ▁For ▁much ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁un tr ouble d ▁by ▁Scott , ▁who ▁had ▁acquired ▁new ▁friends ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁B ess ell , ▁had ▁burn ed ▁his ▁Thor pe ▁letters . ▁His ▁re app earance ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁again ▁p enn il ess ▁and ▁without ▁prospect ▁of ▁work , ▁was ▁particularly ▁unw el come ▁to ▁Thor pe , ▁as ▁he ▁fought ▁to ▁establish ▁his ▁leadership ▁credentials . ▁B ess ell ▁provided ▁immediate ▁relief ▁by ▁res uming ▁the ▁week ly ▁c ash ▁retain er , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁short - term ▁resp ite . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁B ess ell ▁was ▁sum mon ed ▁to ▁Thor pe ' s ▁office ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons . ▁According ▁to ▁B ess ell , ▁Thor pe ▁said ▁of ▁Scott : ▁" We ' ve ▁got ▁to ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁him ", ▁and ▁later : ▁" It ▁is ▁no ▁worse ▁than ▁shooting ▁a ▁sick ▁dog ." ▁B ess ell ▁said ▁later ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁uns ure ▁whether ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁serious , ▁but ▁decided ▁to ▁play ▁along , ▁by ▁discuss ing ▁various ▁ways ▁of ▁getting ▁rid ▁of ▁Scott ' s ▁body . ▁Thor pe ▁supposed ly ▁thought ▁that ▁dispos al ▁down ▁one ▁of ▁Corn wall ' s ▁many ▁dis used ▁tin ▁mines ▁offered ▁the ▁best ▁option , ▁and ▁also ▁suggested ▁his ▁friend ▁David ▁Hol