Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1967–76 Liberal Party Frontbench Team, 1967–76 Members of the British Liberal Party's Frontbench Team from 1967 to 1976 (leaderships listed chronologically): Mr. Thorpe announced changes in the organisation of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, and the reallocation of duties among the 12 Liberal M Ps. Mr. Jo Grimond. who resigned as Leader of the party last month. has been invited to undertake a general oversight of foreign affairs. defence, and regionalism. His sphere will Include a study of present Common Market trends. East-West Euroman relations, the future of Nato and its relationship with the Warsaw Pact powers, and Highland development. Mr. Eric
Thorpe affair people's sympathy before turning their lives to misery with his hysterical temper-tantrums." Peter Bessell, eight years older than Thorpe, had a successful business career before entering Liberal politics in the 1950s. He came to the party leadership's attention in 1955 when, as the Liberal candidate in the Torquay by-election, he substantially increased his party's vote in the first of a series of impressive Liberal results during the 1955–59 parliament. He was subsequently selected as candidate for the more winnable constituency of Bodmin, and became both an admirer and personal friend of Thorpe, who in turn was impressed by Bessell's apparent