Serious mistakes were made by Defense Secretary Liam Fox in his working relationship with friend Adam Werritty, Downing Street has said.
The spokesman said: "It is clear, as Liam Fox himself said yesterday, that serious mistakes were made in allowing the distinction between professional responsibilities and personal loyalties to be blurred - and this has clearly raised concerns about impropriety and potential conflicts of interest."
He said that while the initial conclusion was that no classified or other defence-related official information was discussed with, or given to, Mr Werritty, it was clear "much tighter procedures" were needed in the department to make sure the Ministerial Code was adhered to.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said it was clear the defence secretary had "drawn a coach and horses" through the ministerial code rules.
He said "we may never know whether it was arrogance, naivety or hubris which led Mr Fox to this", but the British people expected the highest standards of conduct.
To save you all looking : The Ministerial Code
Section 1 General Principle
1.2 c .... Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister
1.2.d Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information when disclosure would not be in the public interest ....
1.2.f Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests
1.2.g Ministers should not accept any gift oir hospitality which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an impropper obligation.
Section 3
3.2 With the exception of the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers may each appoint up to two advisers (paid or unpaid). The Prime Minister may also authorise the appointment of one or two special advisors by Ministers who regularly attend Cabinet meetings.
Section 7 General Principle
7.1 Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.
Section 10
10.2 Ministers should make it their personal responsibility to approve the size and composition of Ministerial delegations.....
In the Defense Secretary's statement to Parliament yesterday afternoon Mr Fox :
- apologised to MPs for the controversy
- he said he met the businessman 22 times, more than previously stated, at the Ministry of Defence and 18 times on foreign trips.
- "I accept that it was a mistake to allow distinctions to be blurred between my professional responsibilities and my personal loyalties to a friend"
- "I accept, with the benefit of hindsight I should have taken greater care to ensure a more transparent separation of government, party political and private business and that meetings were properly recorded to protect myself and government from any suggestion of wrongdoing"
- "Again, I accept my personal responsibility for this"
Plus
- Mr Werrity used to carry cards describing himself as an adviser to "the Rt Hon Liam Fox MP".
- Mr Werrity also brokered meetings for Mr Fox and accompanied him on foreign trips, apparently holding meetings without civil servants present.
Looking at all of the above and when set against the Prime Minsisters comments about dealing with the recent rioters and looters, "when they cross the line and break the law, to be very tough" then we believe that there are sufficient clear breaches of the Ministerial Code and precident for the Prime Minister to have sacked Liam Fox as Defense Secretary already.
What say you ?