Constituency : Bodmin 1906, St Austell 1908-15
Thomas took over at Bodmin defeating the Liberal Unionist candidate HB Grylls ( replacing Sir Lewis Molesworth who had gone back to the Liberals.
Thomas was the son and heir of Viscount Clifden, a former Cornwall MP. He was educated at Eton and Oxford and played in their polo team. He joined the Royal 1st Devon Imperial Yeomanry in 1902. He was a close supporter of Rosebery and shared his opposition to Home Rule. He was a keen huntsman. He travelled widely.
Thomas's election was disputed by his opponent who accused him of making illegal payments and treating including a garden party at his home.. The election was re-run without Thomas being able to stand. He introduced a Land Tenutre Bill before his disqualification.
Thomas was returned unopposed for St Austell in 1908. He was regarded as one of the best-dressed men in Parliament with a penchant for violets in his buttonhole. He disliked the Peoples' Budget and voted against it and in 1912 moved an amendment to exclude four counties from the 1912 Home Rule Bill . He turned down a whip's position in 1909 to maintain his independence.
Thomas was noted for a sharp wit but also an impulsiveness that often got him into trouble.
In World War One Thomas was a captain in the Coldstream Guards. He wrote a letter to his local party giving the address as "A dirty ditch somewhere in France".He was hit by a sniper during the Battle of Loos after rescuing a wounded colleague and died two days later. He was 35.
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