Anyone else eager to hear Liam Fox's statement to the House?

[limitedperiodonly]

I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for it all and I look forward to hearing it at 2.30pm today.

[BikeRunSki]

Yes, i don't understand how he thinks he can justify it.

i work for a large Quango. DH works for a local consultancy who use our data. I am not allowed to put public data onto a disc and post it to him, or any of his collegues, in case I prioritise it and they get "preferential service", for the same reason, I cant make appts for him or his collegues to come into the office. I have to review my conflict of interest form every year.

[limitedperiodonly]

Fox and Werrity sound like slippery characters from Dickens. I pinched that from this morning's Daily Mail but for all that it's still good.

I'm counting down to 2.30pm by listening to a Commons friend of Fox saying there's nothing untoward about this at all and that Liam Fox and his friend were just trying to do a good job in difficult circumstances for UK plc.

Not that he knows the full ins and outs of it.

[edam]

I got an email from William Hill suggesting they think the odds on Fox having to resign have lengthened... (am not a gambler, just get the political emails at work). Clearly he has been a very naughty boy but has quite possibly got away with it.

Anyone else think Werrity is a 'special' friend and the Missus is just cover? He didn't pay any rent when he was sharing a flat with Fox...

[EdithWeston]

I have also been wondering about the language and stress patterns used in some news reports. But it would be quite wrong to speculate.

[edam]

Liam Fox is a very experienced politician, who knows full well that he's been behaving quite improperly. His personal life would be none of our business, had he not mixed it with his government role. He chose to allow his 'friend' into regular meetings at the MoD, to allow his friend to describe himself as an adviser to the Secretary of State, with a portcullis on his business card, and chose to attend overseas meetings with his friend. Chose to allow his friend to set up a business registered at Liam's flat.

He can take the flak - he deserves it. If he wanted to keep his rather unusual arrangements - yeah, right, the guy was merely a flat-mate, despite not paying any rent - private, then he shouldn't have mixed business with pleasure.

[Ponders]

I was reading some press reports today & casually looking for an age for Liam Fox but - amazingly, given the usual coding in press reports - couldn't find one.

Just googled him & he's 50. Werrity is 34 & they have been "good friends" since "the 90s" when Werrity was at university.

It all sounds very sus...

but then William Hague got away with it...

[KatharineClifton]

I've seen that insinuation a number of times Ponders and I find it distasteful EVERY time. Why is it that men can't be friends with people reading sex into it?

A different thing I've seen tweeted is that they are the correct ages for father and son. That is far more interesting.

[Ponders]

I was responding to edam, KC

[Ponders]

(& a 16-year-gap is a bit narrow for a father-son relationship)

[KatharineClifton]

But not impossible.

Horrible man in any case.

[EdithWeston]

Even respectable media have used unusual language on this one!

But you're right, it's quite beside the point. If he had been brought in properly as a special adviser, or under some other job title in Fox's office then this would be unproblematic. Wives sometimes accompany VIPs on official trips, but have a recognised role as trailing spouse (something I don't see the point of, but it's accepted practice) - also unproblematic. This is just a mess.

[limitedperiodonly]

Mail had a right go today on two fronts.

Peter McKay, who isn't gay-friendly, confined himself to speculation that Dave knew what was going on and gave Liam Fox, his political enemy, enough rope to hang himself.

Janet Street Porter's column used the headline 'Cheeky Chums'.

Telegraph gave him a kicking too.

If they're your friends...

I find it fascinating given that Dr Liam Fox is such a family man and campaigner for family values.

I guess he voted for the recent failed abortion amendment because of those values and not because he wouldn't have come to that bridge let alone have had to cross it.

Could we get Mrs Fox in for a webchat? Perhaps his best man too.

[Nancy66]

it's an open secret that Mr fox and Werrity are more than friends.

it's just a shame he felt he couldn't be who he really is.

[vigglewiggle]

I don't really see what is "distasteful" about the suggestion that they may be in a relationship. I initially assumed that this must be about financial impropriety, but as they seem to be discounting this, there doesn't seem to be any other likely explanation. I agree with Nancy that it is a shame that he didn't feel able to be open about it in this day and age.

[Ponders]

ooooh, Nancy

nice to have confirmation from the horse's mouth

[pointydog]

whey hey, nancy has the scoop!

I thought so.

JUst don't understand why someone would behave in this strange way, mixing 'secret' personal relationsips with high profile work outings.

[Nancy66]

rumours about his missus too....!

[edam]

Let's not feel too much sympathy. This man was running a business from Fox's house - a house funded by MP's expenses. This man was living (rent-free) in Fox's house - a house funded by MP's expenses. This man has been on 18 foreign trips where Fox has been on official business - one-third of all the Defence Secretary's trips. It stinks to high heaven. It's one thing to hide your private life if it doesn't fit with the values of your core supporters - very sad but Fox's choice - but it's another thing to expect the taxpayer to fund that pretence and to allow your secret partner to make money out of your official role.

[Ponders]

even more sad that he felt he had to get married in the first place, viggle

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4539286.stm\where does that leave long-time love Mrs Fox/Dr Baird?}

[edam]

(I always thought Fox was covering something up - at one stage in Opposition he was allegedly going out with Natalie Imbruglia. A more unlikely couple would be hard to find... I met the guy a few times and he didn't strike me as pop singer boyfriend material, tbh.)

[KatharineClifton]

'I don't really see what is "distasteful" about the suggestion that they may be in a relationship.'

It's just inuendo. There is nothing to say if they are or aren't. It's up to Liam Fox to share whatever he likes about his life. It is distasteful gossiping about it. And it is distasteful that people like to do this A LOT wrt male friends.

[Nancy66]

Dr Baird was (apparently) openly gay at university

[Ponders]

oh reeeelly, edam?

at least that would explain why google came up with 'liam fox natalie imbruglia' - I did wonder

[Ponders]

so Dr Baird is a beard

how sweetly appropriate