Popular Commons Speaker George Thomas dreaded interest in his sexual proclivities - including sex with minors.
The row over claims of an establishment cover-up of an alleged paedophile ring took a new turn last night over fresh claims concerning former
Commons Speaker George Thomas.
When late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens tried to expose public figures he claimed were involved in a Westminster child sex ring in the 1980s, Thomas, who was in the Speaker's chair at the time, had himself been
blackmailed over his homosexuality.
Furthermore,
The Mail on Sunday has been told of claims that Thomas, who later became Viscount Tonypandy,
propositioned young men in the Speaker's official grace and favour apartment in Parliament.
A senior political source said: 'Thomas had an interest in young men and did not hide it at Westminster.'
In the 1960s, Thomas was a Minister in the Home Office, which is accused of losing over 114 files on alleged child sex cases, including Dickens's dossier in the 1980s.
And he
reportedly used his Home Office position to help Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe - who was later acquitted of attempted murder of his gay lover - to cover up an alleged homosexual offence against a minor.
The disclosures follow the announcement of official inquiries into claims of a Westminster paedophile ring and a Home Office cover-up.
Thomas, who
died in 1997, was one of Britain's best-loved and most influential public figures as Speaker from 1976 to 1983.
Comment: Russia has apparently responded to this provocation:
Ukraine military plane shot down from Russia as warning to US puppet regime in Kiev
Kiev may deny the initial attack, but they seem to have gotten the hint:
Tired of losing aircrafts? Ukraine's military suspends combat aviation flights in offensive area