▁while ▁stay ing ▁close ▁to ▁Thor pe ▁whom ▁he ▁considered ▁the ▁likely ▁next ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party . ▁ ▁B ess ell ▁noted ▁that ▁Thor pe , ▁for ▁all ▁his ▁gre g ari ous ness ▁and ▁warm th , ▁appeared ▁to ▁have ▁no ▁female ▁friends ▁and ▁lack ed ▁any ▁interest ▁in ▁girls . ▁The ▁former ▁Liberal ▁MP ▁Frank ▁O wen ▁conf ided ▁to ▁B ess ell ▁his ▁susp ic ions ▁that ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁hom osex ual ; ▁other ▁West ▁Country ▁Liber als ▁had ▁formed ▁the ▁same ▁opinion . ▁A ware ▁that ▁expos ure ▁as ▁a ▁gay ▁man ▁would ▁end ▁Thor pe ' s ▁career , ▁B ess ell ▁became ▁his ▁self - app oint ed ▁prote ctor , ▁even ▁to ▁the ▁extent , ▁he ▁later ▁said , ▁of ▁f als ely ▁claim ing ▁to ▁be ▁bis ex ual , ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁acqu iring ▁his ▁friend ' s ▁confidence . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁Thor pe – Sc ott ▁friendship ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁or ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁Thor pe ▁visited ▁Vater ▁at ▁the ▁King ham ▁St ables , ▁and ▁briefly ▁met ▁Jos iffe . ▁He ▁was ▁sufficiently ▁taken ▁with ▁the ▁young ▁man ▁to ▁suggest ▁that , ▁should ▁Jos iffe ▁ever ▁need ▁help , ▁he ▁should ▁call ▁on ▁him ▁at ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons . ▁So on ▁after ▁this , ▁Jos iffe ▁left ▁the ▁st ables ▁after ▁a ▁serious ▁disag re ement ▁with ▁Vater . ▁He ▁then ▁suffered ▁a ▁mental ▁break down ,