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Colonel Sir
Neil Thorne
OBE, TD, DL
Member of Parliament
for Ilford South

In office
3 May 1979 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by Arnold Shaw
Succeeded by Mike Gapes
Personal details
Born Neil Gordon Thorne
8 August 1932(1932-08-08) (age 92)
Nationality British
Political party Conservative

Colonel Sir Neil Gordon Thorne, OBE TD DL (born 8 August 1932) is a British Conservative Party politician.[1][2][3] He contested the constituency of Ilford South six times from October 1974 to 1997, and was the Member of Parliament for the seat from 1979 to 1992, when he lost by 402 votes to Labour's Mike Gapes.[4]

Biography[]

Thorne served in the Territorial Army Royal Artillery, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1989, he founded the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, which aims to improve the quality of debate on military issues, and does this by exposing Members of Parliament to first-hand experience of the armed forces.[5]

Thorne is a member of the Steering Group Committee for the British Chinese Armed Forces Heritage project which started in 2015. This is a joint project in collaboration between the Ming-Ai (London) Institute and Regent's University London. Thorne is a freemason,[6] and was Provincial Grand Master of Essex Freemasons for ten years from 1995 to 2005.

In 2018, Thorne attracted media criticism for his application for planning permission to relocate a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst.[7] Suffragettes raised funds and twice negotiated the site of the statue in 1930 and 1956, when the government also attempted to remove the statue. The proposed site in Regent's University London has no link to Pankhurst or suffragette history.

Honours[]

Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon Order of St John (UK) ribbon -vector Knight-Bachelor.ribbon
UK Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon Ribbon - Efficiency Decoration (TAVR)
Special Constabulary Long Service Medal Service Medal of the Order of St John Ribbon

Ribbon Description Notes
Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon Order of the British Empire (OBE)
  • Officer
  • Military Division
  • 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours List
Order of St John (UK) ribbon -vector Order of St John (K.StJ)
  • Knight of Justice
  • 22 August 1995
  • [8]
Knight-Bachelor.ribbon Knight Bachelor (Kt)
  • 6 June 1992
  • [9]
UK Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
  • 1977
  • UK Version of this Medal
UK Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
  • 2002
  • UK Version of this Medal
QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
  • 2012
  • UK Version of this Medal
Ribbon - Efficiency Decoration (TAVR) Efficiency Decoration (TD)
Special Constabulary Long Service Medal Special Constabulary Long Service Medal
Service Medal of the Order of St John Ribbon Service Medal of the Order of St John
  • Sir Neil Thorne also serves as a deputy lieutenant for the London Borough of Brent, allowing him the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life.

[10][11]

Footnotes[]

  1. "Colonel Sir Neil Thorne honoured for 60s years' service to Freemasonry" (in en-GB). http://www.freemasonrytoday.com/more-news/lodges-chapters-a-individuals/colonel-sir-neil-thorne-honoured-for-60s-years-service-to-freemasonry. 
  2. "Friends of St Cross volunteer who survived the blitz meets Prince Edward at Battle of Britain commemoration" (in en). https://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/news/friends-of-st-cross-volunteer-who-survived-the-blitz-meets-prince-edward-at-battle-of-britain-commemoration-1-6981499. 
  3. "Mr Neil Thorne". https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/mr-neil-thorne/index.html. 
  4. "Sir Neil Thorne" (in en). http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/Commons/member/1289. 
  5. Calvert, Jonathan; Rowell, Andy (31 August 2008). "Tory MP Douglas Carswell 'punished' for damning army kit". http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4641398.ece. 
  6. "Conservatives at the heart of Freemasonry". The Independent. 31 October 1995. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/conservatives-at-the-heart-of-freemasonry-1580256.html. 
  7. Khomami, Nadia (2018-08-17). "Anger over plan to move Pankhurst statue away from parliament" (in en). https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/aug/17/anger-over-plan-to-move-pankhurst-statue-away-from-parliament. 
  8. "THE MOST VENERABLE ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM" (in en). https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54136/page/11491. 
  9. "CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD Knights Bachelor" (in en). https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52943/supplement/2. 
  10. Day, Rosie (21 October 2015). "Coventry Blitz survivor who become only female instructor at the Fire Guard enjoys St Paul's visit". https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-blitz-survivor-who-become-10289817. 
  11. "Friends of St Cross volunteer who survived the blitz meets Prince Edward at Battle of Britain commemoration - Rugby Advertiser". https://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/news/friends-of-st-cross-volunteer-who-survived-the-blitz-meets-prince-edward-at-battle-of-britain-commemoration-1-6981499. 
  12. "The London Gazette 10 August 1999" (in en). https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/55576/page/8618. 

References[]

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Arnold Shaw
Member of Parliament
for Ilford South

1979–1992
Succeeded by
Mike Gapes
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