If this is true (and I am not suggesting it is not) PPL/IRs membership should have the guts to call an emergency meeting and sack Mr Thorpe. There are a few on here that are PPL/IR members - it will be interesting to hear what they intend to do. (I was a member and resigned over this issue).
AOPA UK should write to FCL008 and make their position clear. They should ensure their letter is in the public domain. There are more than a few AOPA UK members on here - it will be interesting to hear their intentions.