[2] He was a founding member of the United Democratic Front party (UDF) and a Minister of Trade and Industry.
As Chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce he traveled and was part of an underground movement that included Bakili Muluzi that aimed at resisting the one-party rule of Kamuzu Banda.
[2] They began to agitate the MCP government under growing protests nationwide over Banda's reign and this resulted in associates being arrested or sent away.
Protests after Banda agreed to a national referendum to see if the present government, a one-party state, should be continued or to go into multi-party.
[7] Thomson resigned from UDF in 2004 in protest over the nomination of President Bingu wa Mutharika joining the NDA.