' s ▁political ▁career ▁had ▁st alled . ▁He ▁had ▁led ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁a ▁dis astr ous ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁of ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 0 ; ▁in ▁an ▁unexpected ▁victory ▁for ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁under ▁Edward ▁He ath , ▁the ▁Liber als ▁lost ▁seven ▁of ▁their ▁th ir teen ▁parliament ary ▁seats , ▁and ▁Thor pe ' s ▁majority ▁in ▁North ▁Dev on ▁fell ▁to ▁below ▁ 4 0 0 . ▁B ess ell , ▁with ▁mount ing ▁business ▁wor ries , ▁did ▁not ▁stand ▁for ▁re - e lection ▁in ▁Bod min . ▁Thor pe ▁faced ▁c ensure ▁for ▁his ▁conduct ▁of ▁a ▁campaign ▁during ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁spent ▁extra v ag antly ▁and ▁left ▁the ▁party ▁on ▁the ▁ver ge ▁of ▁bank rupt cy ; ▁but ▁the ▁matter ▁was ▁put ▁aside ▁in ▁a ▁wave ▁of ▁sympathy ▁when ▁his ▁wife ▁Caroline ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁road ▁accident ▁ 1 1 ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁election . ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁dev ast ated ; ▁he ▁continued ▁as ▁leader , ▁but ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁performed ▁little ▁beyond ▁routine ▁party ▁duties . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁B ess ell ' s ▁efforts ▁ens ured ▁that ▁for ▁the ▁time ▁being ▁the ▁Scott ▁threat ▁was ▁kept ▁at ▁bay . ▁The ▁missing ▁ins urance ▁card ▁meant ▁that ▁Scott ' s ▁wife , ▁who ▁was ▁pre gn ant , ▁could ▁not ▁claim ▁mat ern ity ▁benefits . ▁Scott ▁threatened ▁to ▁talk ▁to ▁newsp apers , ▁but ▁the ▁matter ▁was ▁resolved ▁by ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁an