Mike Thornton (politician)

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Mike Thornton
Mike Thornton MP at Brighton 2013.jpg
Member of Parliament
for Eastleigh
In office
28 February 2013 – 30 March 2015[1]
Preceded byChris Huhne
Succeeded byMims Davies
Majority1,771 (5.26%)
Personal details
Born
Michael Douglas Thornton

(1952-05-01) 1 May 1952 (age 69)
Farnham, Surrey, England
Political partyLiberal Democrats
Spouse(s)Peta Thornton
ChildrenOne daughter
Alma materCharterhouse School
Manchester Metropolitan University

Michael Douglas Thornton[2] (born 1 May 1952)[3] is a British politician and former Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Eastleigh in Hampshire. He was elected at the Eastleigh by-election held on 28 February 2013, a seat which he lost at the 2015 general election.

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, a part of Eastleigh borough, since 1994.[4] He has variously been a Bishopstoke parish councillor,[5] an Eastleigh borough councillor[6] and a Hampshire county councillor,[7] for wards within or containing Bishopstoke.

Parliamentary career[]

Following the resignation of the previous Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne, Thornton 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.[8]

In Parliament, Thornton joined the European Scrutiny Committee, the Work and Pensions Committee and the Bill committee for HS2,[9] which he argued "would benefit the country as a whole, not just the cities that link to it".[10]

His defeat at the 2015 general election was unexpected.[citation needed] 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.

References[]

  1. ^ "Dissolution of Parliament". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Eastleigh Parliamentary By-Election 2013 Result". Eastleigh Borough Council. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Mike Thornton Liberal Democrats". Southern Daily Echo. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Councillors". Bishopstoke Parish Council. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Bishopstoke PC profile". Bishopstokepc.hampshire.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Profile on Council web site". Eastleigh.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Councillor Mike Thornton". Hampshire County Council. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  8. ^ Wintour, Patrick; Morris, Steven (1 March 2013). "Lib Dems hold off Ukip surge as Tories drop to third in Eastleigh byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Mike Thornton". Parliament UK. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  10. ^ "HS2: Cameron hails 'vital programme' as MPs approve funding". BBC. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2015.

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Chris Huhne 		Member of Parliament for Eastleigh
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Mims Davies
Retrieved from ""