Sorry If I Gave an Impression of Wrong Doing – Liam Fox
As rumours about him build, Doctor Liam Fox the UK Defence Secretary has made an extraordinary statement. "I’m sorry if I gave an impression of wrong doing." How many lawyers and press secretaries sweated to produce that one -a statement designed to say nothing – and a long way short of saying there was no wrong doing.
His name doesn’t help – but there’s no doubt Dr Fox is on the run and the hounds are getting closer as they sniff out the trail.
Dr Fox has a long time friend who clings to him and pops up in places he isn’t meant to be. This is businessman Adam Werritty, a man who seems to enjoy being anywhere big contracts are handed out. The UK Defence Ministry is a big, big spender and Dr Fox is in charge.
Werritty isn’t employed by the Ministry of Defence or any other part of Government. Yet until very recently he carried a business card with a Government logo saying he was an adviser to Defence Minister Fox. A very useful card to carry into any meeting with contractors who would assume he was a man of influence.
No security clearance – even though he visited the Ministry of Defence
Fox was warned some time ago that Werritty had these cards but doesn’t seem to have done anything about it. In spite of the fact that Werritty has been a regular visitor to the Ministry of Defence offices. One of the problems there is that he hasn’t been security cleared, his background and contacts have not been checked.
So, if Fox thought his friend Werritty could be useful at the Ministry, why didn’t he arrange for the vetting? Could it be that he was afraid Werritty would not pass any close examination of his affairs. Prime Minister David Cameron had a similar problem with his Press Secretary Andy Coulson who also did not have a security clearance. But the check is vital to guard against threats to national security. Surely the Defence Secretary should be the first person to get on top of personal security matters.
Then there is the denial that Werritty had attended any formal meetings with overseas dignitaries. Videos of meetings Fox had with the President of Sri Lanka have emerged. They show Werritty is there.
As the heat was turned up Fox ordered an investigation on himself to look at the allegations. The results were expected in a couple of weeks, giving the Defence Minister a vital breathing space to prepare his position.
Panicking Prime Minister David Cameron then stepped in – saying he wanted a report on his desk two days later. It makes him look decisive but it doesn’t look good for Fox.
A top colleague of Fox has said he has fingers in so many pies that you kind of think one of them will land him in trouble somewhere along the line.
It looks like that just happened.
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