Preceded by Chris Huhne Spouse(s) Peta Thornton Succeeded by Mims Davies Children One daughter | Majority 1,771 (5.26%) Name Mike Thornton | |
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Full Name Michael Douglas Thornton Born 1 May 1952 (age 71)
Farnham, Surrey, England ( 1952-05-01 ) | ||
Political party Liberal Democrats | ||
Mike thornton mp backs gas safety week 2013
Michael Douglas Thornton (born 1 May 1952) is a British politician and former Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Eastleigh in Hampshire. He was elected in the Eastleigh by-election held on 28 February 2013, a seat which he lost at the 2015 general election.
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Early life
The son of Sir Peter Eustace Thornton, Thornton grew up in Farnham in Surrey and was educated at Charterhouse School, before reading law at Manchester Polytechnic. He has had a range of jobs, including spells in the United States (his mother is from Tennessee). Thornton spent a significant period of time working in financial services.
He has lived in Bishopstoke, Hampshire since 1994 and was previously a parish councillor in Bishopstoke and a borough councillor in Eastleigh.
Political career
Following the resignation of the previous Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne, he was chosen as their candidate at the 2013 Eastleigh by-election to replace him. This took place on 28 February 2013 and Thornton was declared the winner in the early hours of 1 March.
In Parliament, Thornton joined the European Scrutiny Committee, the Work and Pensions Committee and the Bill committee for HS2, which he argues "would benefit the country as a whole, not just the cities that link to it"
His defeat at the 2015 general election was unexpected. Although he only defended a small numerical majority of 1,771, the Eastleigh constituency was otherwise a stronghold, with the Liberal Democrats holding almost every seat on the council for many years. During the 2013 by-election it had been reported that whilst the local Liberal Democrats commanded a vast database of supporters on the ground that enabled them to get their vote out, the local Tory organisation in the constituency was practically non-existent. Indeed, at the 2013 by-election the Conservatives had been beaten into third place by UKIP.