Sex scandal in Britain topples Liberal leader

L.A. Times/Washington Post Service LONDON

Jeremy Thorpe resigned the leadership of the Liberal Party yesterday, brought down by Norman Scott, a jobless male model who alleged he and Thorpe once had a

homosexual affair.

Associated Press

Jeremy Thorpe

party. Thorpe will remain as a member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, Liberals alternated in power with the Tories, a role they continued to play until the middle of World War I. But, for the past 50 years they have been a largely polls here showed spent force. Thorpe was

Two years ago,

most politician.

Britain's Then Thorpe, dynamic, witty, eloquent, led admired them to a startling triumph in winter 1974. The Liberals collected 6 million votes, one in five, In his resignation and were invited to form a government with letter, Thorpe, 47, said Edward Heath's Conservative. Thorpe rejected he had been the victim the offer. The fortunes of Thorpe and his party of "a sustained witchhave been on the decline ever since. hunt" by" sections of the press."

"The campaign of denigration which has already endured for over three months should be drawn by me as an individual and not directed at Liberals collectively through their

leader." Thorpe once again denied Scott's assertions "categorically."

Thorpe had hoped to hold out until fall and an election by Liberals for the leadership. But his hand was forced over the weekend when several Liberal lords and MPs made clear they were unsatisfied with Thorpe's denials and wanted a quicker resolution of his status.

Plans to select a successor will be mapped by the Liberals today. Whoever the successor, he takes over a divided, demoralized and fading

The roof began falling in on Thorpe and his party in January. A government report criticized him for serving as a director and lending his name to a bank that had collapsed through its chairman's fraud.

Even deadlier were Scott's assertions. The model, 35, was in court facing charges of social security fraud when he blurted out that he was being persecuted because of his old affair with Thorpe.

Thorpe has always denied Scott's story, but he dismayed some Liberals by never suing Scott for libel when the model repeated his tale outside of court. Ironically, as a final blow yesterday, Scott filed suit against Thorpe, charging him with slander and libel.

Thorpe has been married twice. His first wife, Caroline, was killed in a car crash in 1970. They had one son. In 1973 Thorpe married Marion, whose previous marriage to the Earl of Harewood, Queen Elizabeth's cousin, had ended in divorce.