▁talent ▁for ▁whe ed ling ▁his ▁way ▁into ▁people ' s ▁sympathy ▁before ▁turning ▁their ▁lives ▁to ▁mis ery ▁with ▁his ▁h yst er ical ▁temper - t ant rum s ." ▁ ▁B ess ell ▁Peter ▁B ess ell , ▁eight ▁years ▁older ▁than ▁Thor pe , ▁had ▁a ▁successful ▁business ▁career ▁before ▁entering ▁Liberal ▁politics ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁He ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁party ▁leadership ' s ▁attention ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁when , ▁as ▁the ▁Liberal ▁candidate ▁in ▁the ▁Tor qu ay ▁by - e lection , ▁he ▁substantial ly ▁increased ▁his ▁party ' s ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁impress ive ▁Liberal ▁results ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 5 – 5 9 ▁parliament . ▁He ▁was ▁subsequently ▁selected ▁as ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁more ▁w inn able ▁constitu ency ▁of ▁Bod min , ▁and ▁became ▁both ▁an ▁adm ir er ▁and ▁personal ▁friend ▁of ▁Thor pe , ▁who ▁in ▁turn ▁was ▁im pressed ▁by ▁B ess ell ' s ▁apparent ▁business ▁ac umen . ▁At ▁Bod min ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁general ▁election , ▁B ess ell ▁reduced ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁majority , ▁and ▁he ▁followed ▁this ▁in ▁the ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁election ▁with ▁victory ▁by ▁over ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁With ▁the ▁prest ige ▁of ▁the ▁letters ▁" MP " ▁after ▁his ▁name , ▁B ess ell ▁set ▁out ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁serious ▁money - making ,