, ▁wrote : ▁" There ▁is ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁unh app iness ▁about ▁the ▁result ▁at ▁the ▁Old ▁Ba iley . ▁As ▁far ▁as ▁most ▁people ▁are ▁concerned , ▁the ▁trial ▁ended ▁with ▁a ▁big ▁question ▁mark ▁over ▁the ▁case ". ▁Pre vent ed ▁by ▁his ▁party ▁from ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁active ▁politics , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁Am n esty ▁International ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁its ▁British ▁section , ▁but ▁after ▁protest s ▁from ▁the ▁organisation ' s ▁staff , ▁he ▁with d rew . ▁Not ▁long ▁afterwards , ▁Thor pe ▁first ▁showed ▁signs ▁of ▁the ▁Park inson ' s ▁disease ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁almost ▁complete ▁withdraw al ▁into ▁private ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁political ▁recon c ili ation ▁when , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁following ▁the ▁mer ger ▁of ▁the ▁Liber als ▁and ▁the ▁Social ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁North ▁Dev on ▁Liberal ▁Dem ocrat ▁association ▁made ▁him ▁their ▁honor ary ▁president . ▁When ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Dem ocrat ▁party ▁conference ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁standing ▁ov ation . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Thor pe ▁published ▁his ▁political ▁mem oir , ▁In ▁My ▁O wn ▁Time , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁just ified ▁his ▁silence ▁at ▁the ▁trial , ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁never ▁doubt ed ▁the ▁outcome . ▁N ine ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0