Liam Fox’s full resignation statement


by Newswire    
4:25 pm - October 14th 2011

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Here is what Liam Fox sent to David Cameron today

Dear David,

As you know, I have always placed a great deal of importance on accountability and responsibility. As I said in the House of Commons on Monday, I mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my Government activities to become blurred. The consequences of this have become clearer in recent days. I am very sorry for this.

I have also repeatedly said that the national interest must always come before personal interest. I now have to hold myself to my own standard. I have therefore decided, with great sadness, to resign from my post as Secretary of State for Defence – a position which I have been immensely proud and honoured to have held.

I am particularly proud to have overseen the long overdue reforms to the Ministry of Defence and to our Armed Forces, which will shape them to meet the challenges of the future and keep this country safe.

I am proud also to have played a part in helping to liberate the people of Libya, and I regret that I will not see through to its conclusion Britain’s role in Afghanistan, where so much progress has been made.

Above all, I am honoured and humbled to have worked with the superb men and women in our Armed Forces. Their bravery, dedication and professionalism are second to none.

I appreciate all the support you have given me – and will continue to support the vital work of this Government, above all in controlling the enormous budget deficit we inherited, which is a threat not just to this country’s economic prosperity but also to its national security.

I look forward to continuing to represent my constituents in North Somerset.

Yours ever,
Liam

Via Sky News

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Reader comments


1. Martin Young

He’s a crook

2. Watchman

So, in summary.

“I couldn’t kill the story, people are looking for incriminating evidence, so I’ll resign and hopefully it will have blown over in three and a half years or so…

Please remember I did the right thing [without any indication of at last] and be appropriately grateful.”

Nice mention of the budget deficit in there though. Got to keep pumping that message.

3. ex-Labour voter

I look forward to representing my constituents in neo-conservative think tanks and the arms manufacturers.

I reckon BAE owe him a job for all the taxpayers’ money he’s decided to waste on Trident.

4. Leon Wolfson

Bah. I believe that British tradition here is entirely wrong – when things are this bad, they should be fired, not allowed to resign.

5. Cylux

@4 To be fair, when it comes to situations like these, I doubt there’s a difference. There’s always the question of if they jumped or were pushed, even with this little PR-stunt letter to the headmaster.

6. J

Yeah, but now Hammond’s taken his place.

Most cabinet and shadow cabinet members are grotesque parodies of what people might have expected from politicians a hundred years ago; I say replace them with humorously-shaped vegetables and see how long it takes for anyone to notice.

Oh, and can we get rid of Lansley next?

7. the a&e charge nurse

[6] ‘can we get rid of Lansley next’ – I think Ollie is the next inept tory pushing himself to the top of the queue?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/14/oliver-letwin-sorry-documents-bin

Apparently “Letwin was seen on five separate days binning sensitive correspondence on terrorism, national security as well as constituents’ private details in the park near No 10″.

Needless to say the usual insincere groveling ensued.

8. J

@7, A&E – ” I think Ollie is the next inept tory pushing himself to the top of the queue…”

So if you removed those who were thieves, liars, inept, incompetent and / or corrupt (from the cabinet *and* the shadow cabinet), would there be a sufficient quantity of the mediocre remaining to actually fill the positions required?

9. Bob B

I rather liked this timely and apt quote from Mary Riddell writing in the Telegraph:

“the Fox affair leaves the clear and lasting impression that Britain is broken not at the bottom but at the top”
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/maryriddell/100111133/liam-fox-goes-what-took-so-long/

10. the a&e charge nurse

[8] “would there be a sufficient quantity of the mediocre remaining to actually fill the positions required” – this could be the sort of opening a certain Narnian MP has been dreaming about?
http://www.bloggerheads.com/images/sarah_palin_nadine_dorries.jpg

11. Leon Wolfson

@5 – At the time? Perhaps. The symbolism is different, though, and it makes it harder for them to return.

12. Chris

The fact that he bothered to mention the budget deficit just shows how fake his apology is.

If he was really sorry he would resign without trying to throw a bit of party politics into it.

13. Sunny Hundal

You gotta admire Tory on-message discipline though. I bet these people aren’t allowed to mention they went to the toilet without the budget deficit


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. D

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/jxvaCdue

  2. Omolade

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/jxvaCdue

  3. Will van Zwanenberg

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/jxvaCdue

  4. The Lawyer

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/jxvaCdue

  5. Laura Purll

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/n98nZlsg

  6. Nigel Bennett

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/ZIBiBOBw "I'm sorry repeated 10 times & I love armed forces that's why I chopped budget"

  7. WannaBeSolicitor

    RT @TheLawyermag: RT @libcon: Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/CEp65jZv

  8. Nigel Henry

    @Baby_Barrister Newswire report: http://t.co/4lsUPn1s

  9. orrnyereg

    Liam Fox's full resignation statement http://t.co/jxvaCdue

  10. Allan Cavanagh

    Liam Fox's resignation statement is hysterical: http://t.co/gcWbabSO

  11. John Mcgooner

    Liam Fox's resignation statement is hysterical: http://t.co/gcWbabSO

  12. Brian Crawford ?

    “@AllanCavanagh: Liam Fox's resignation statement is hysterical: http://t.co/ms3SkgfK” The MP role HAS to go too, surely…….??





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