Fox bows to pressure and resigns

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Financial Times

Liam Fox resigned as UK defence secretary on Friday afternoon after a week of allegations about how he secretly retained an informal adviser who was funded by several business groups.

The decision marks the fall of an experienced Tory minister who first served in government in the 1990s and is a flag-bearer for the rightwing of his Conservative party, having stood unsuccessfully for the leadership in 2005.

Pressure on the defence secretary to resign reached a critical mass on Friday after it emerged that his controversial associate Adam Werritty had his flights and hotels paid for by a network of donors including a corporate intelligence group and a billionaire who funds a pro-Israel lobbying group.

The revelations were fatal given the extensive access that Mr Werritty enjoyed to the defence secretary, with no fewer than 40 meetings since last year’s general election – 18 of them overseas.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83e75bae-f675-11e0-86dc-00144feab49a.html#axzz1almDCchJ

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83e75bae-f675-11e0-86dc-00144feab49a.html#axzz1almDCchJ

[Orrex]

1. I totally misread that subject line

"How can a whole damn network resign?" I thought.


If only...

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. After what OWS did to Geraldo, I mis-read it too.

But, glad to see that one of "them" has bowed to pressure.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Yeah. I went there too.

[MaineDem]

10. I was hoping it was Virginia Foxx from NC

She's one scary Member of Congress.

[WhiteTara]

2. Woohoo! One more creep forced from office

:woohoo: Now on to the bastards in this country.

[dbt]

4. Fo (sur)Real!

We have WAY more bastards per acre than England ever thought about.

USA! USA! USA! USA! etc

[snagglepuss]

6. Liam Fox Resigns-Defense Secretary finally quits for letting "personal matters get in the way of gov

Source: Daily mail UK

snip

Earlier, senior Tories predicted that Liam Fox would have to resign after further details emerged about the tycoons who funded the lavish jet-setting lifestyle of his close friend Adam Werritty.

The Defence Secretary’s position was described by top Tory sources as ‘increasingly untenable’ after it emerged that the costs of Mr Werritty’s foreign trips were paid by a corporate intelligence company and a billionaire who lobbies for Israel.

The pair's relationship came under further scrutiny today as it also emerged they attended another adviser's stag-do in Dubai during an official taxpayer-funded trip.

As questions were asked over how Mr Werritty was able to pay for his extensive trips abroad, it emerged that some £147,000 was paid into the bank account of Pargav Ltd - a not-for-profit company set up by Dr Fox’s self-styled adviser, to cover the costs of first class air travel and top hotels.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2049222/Liam-Fox-resigns-Defence-Secretary-finally-quits-Adam-Werritty-scandal.html#ixzz1am5WxUd5

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2049222/Liam-Fox-resigns-Defence-Secretary-finally-quits-Adam-Werritty-scandal.html

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This story has been rivetting since the scandal first broke. Fox it appears had his own foreign policy agenda as well as private advisers both in UK and the US. He also had set up a "charity" that furthered neocon principles in both the US and UK. The head of the charity was his apparent lover Adam Werrity. The closeted gay angle is bizarre as Fox first made a name for himself by his hate speech against gays while he was in university though rumors of his being gay have followed him through out his career.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. I don't think there is any 'closeted gay' angle to this

Maybe you listen to more rumours than I do. It'd be more refreshing to see DUers concentrate on the dubious right wing politics of Fox and Werrity's finances, than a private life someone has imagined for him.

[closeupready]

8. The UK Press is all but outright saying that they had a romantic relationship.

In my opinion.

[ikri]

9. The closeted gay angle is weird

I've seen people suggesting that interference in his personal life and any suggestions that he's gay are unwarranted, but I've never actually seen anyone suggest that Fox and Werrity are gay. It's a very weird smokescreen.

[T_i_B]

12. As I think has been mentioned in the UK forum....

....there has been a bit of innuendo going about with this story.

However, any sexual matter is irrelevent. The real issue here turned out to be nepotism.

[Lars77]

11. Defence Secretary Liam Fox quits

Source: BBC

Key moments over the last seven days that proved fatal to Liam Fox's career in front line politics.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has resigned after a week of pressure over his working relationship with friend and self-styled adviser Adam Werritty.

Mr Fox was being investigated amid claims he broke the ministerial code.

In a letter to David Cameron, Mr Fox said he had "mistakenly allowed" personal and professional responsibilities to be "blurred".

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15300751

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Funny that its all a mistake when they get caught.