▁Liberal ▁parliament ary ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁North ▁Dev on ▁constitu ency , ▁a ▁Conserv ative - h eld ▁seat ▁where , ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁general ▁election , ▁the ▁Liber als ▁had ▁finished ▁in ▁third ▁place ▁behind ▁Labour . ▁Thor pe ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁constitu ency ▁t ire lessly , ▁using ▁the ▁s log an ▁" A ▁V ote ▁for ▁the ▁Liber als ▁is ▁a ▁V ote ▁for ▁Fre edom ", ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁general ▁election , ▁had ▁hal ved ▁the ▁sitting ▁Conserv ative ▁MP ▁James ▁L inds ay ' s ▁majority . ▁Four ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁he ▁captured ▁the ▁seat ▁with ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁ 3 6 2 , ▁one ▁of ▁six ▁successful ▁Liber als ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁generally ▁an ▁elect oral ▁triumph ▁for ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Mac mill an ▁government . ▁ ▁The ▁writer ▁and ▁former ▁MP ▁Matthew ▁Par ris ▁described ▁Thor pe ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁dash ing ▁among ▁the ▁new ▁MP s ▁elected ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁Thor pe ' s ▁chief ▁political ▁interest ▁lay ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁human ▁rights , ▁and ▁his ▁speech es ▁critic ising ▁apart heid ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁attract ed ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Bureau ▁of ▁State ▁Security ▁( BO SS ), ▁who ▁took ▁note ▁of ▁this ▁rising ▁star ▁in ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party . ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁briefly ▁considered ▁as ▁best ▁man ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁wed ding ▁of