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Liam Fox row 'distracting MoD staff', Tory MP says Liam Fox row 'distracting MoD staff', Tory MP says
(about 2 hours later)
The row over Liam Fox has "distracted" the Ministry of Defence and is making it "very difficult" for staff to get on with their jobs, a Tory MP has said.The row over Liam Fox has "distracted" the Ministry of Defence and is making it "very difficult" for staff to get on with their jobs, a Tory MP has said.
Former Army officer Patrick Mercer told BBC Radio 4 a meeting he had been due to attend at the MoD was cancelled on Monday amid "the fuss and the dramas".Former Army officer Patrick Mercer told BBC Radio 4 a meeting he had been due to attend at the MoD was cancelled on Monday amid "the fuss and the dramas".
Senior civil servants investigating the defence secretary's conduct are interviewing his friend Adam Werritty. Senior civil servants investigating the defence secretary's conduct have interviewed his friend Adam Werritty.
They will ask him why he joined the defence secretary on 18 overseas trips.They will ask him why he joined the defence secretary on 18 overseas trips.
Those trips constitute a third of all overseas visits - 18 out of 48 - undertaken by Mr Fox since he came to office in May 2010. Number 10 has said serious mistakes were made and asked an internal inquiry to address "all remaining questions".
Mr Cameron is understood to have discussed the findings of an interim report on the inquiry with Mr Fox, but is not expected to make a final decision on his future until he sees the full report, which is due on 21 October.
'Blurring'
According to MoD records, Mr Werritty joined Mr Fox on a third of his overseas visits - 18 out of 48 - since he came to office in May 2010.
They included visits to Singapore, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Qatar and Sri Lanka.They included visits to Singapore, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Qatar and Sri Lanka.
Mr Werritty also visited Tampa in Florida, where he dined with General John Allen, who has since become the head of Nato forces in Afghanistan.Mr Werritty also visited Tampa in Florida, where he dined with General John Allen, who has since become the head of Nato forces in Afghanistan.
He also travelled to Washington DC before flying back with Mr Fox. In statement to MPs on Monday, Mr Fox apologised for allowing a "blurring" of his personal relationships and his professional life, but insisted he had done nothing materially wrong and had not put national security at risk.
No 10 has said serious mistakes were made and asked an internal inquiry to address "all remaining questions". Mr Mercer told BBC Radio 4's World at One the defence secretary was running a department "under serious financial strictures" and fighting military campaigns in Afghanistan and Libya.
Labour MP John Mann has said Mr Fox should be sacked, but the minister insisted he had done nothing wrong. "The last thing that busy civil servants and busy uniformed staff need inside the MoD is this sort of distraction with their boss," he said.
Business cards The MP said Mr Fox retained the support of his Conservative colleagues, but he added: "I was due to have a meeting in the Ministry of Defence on Monday, and it was clear that the fuss and the difficulty and the drama was making business very difficult to conduct."
Mr Mercer told BBC Radio 4's World at one: "The secretary of state for defence is running a ministry that's under serious financial strictures and much more importantly is fighting one hot war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the remnants of a campaign in Libya, and with all sorts of difficulties... on the horizon," he said.
"The last thing that busy civil servants and busy uniformed staff need inside the MoD is this sort of distraction with their boss."
Mr Mercer said Mr Fox retained the support of his Conservative colleagues, but he added: "I was due to have a meeting in the Ministry of Defence on Monday, and it was clear that the fuss and the difficulty and the drama was making business very difficult to conduct."
Mr Werritty, 34, was Mr Fox's best man in 2005 and a former flatmate and also used to carry cards describing himself as an adviser to "the Rt Hon Liam Fox MP".Mr Werritty, 34, was Mr Fox's best man in 2005 and a former flatmate and also used to carry cards describing himself as an adviser to "the Rt Hon Liam Fox MP".
But he had no formal or paid role at the MoD or the Conservative Party and little is known about how the visits were funded.But he had no formal or paid role at the MoD or the Conservative Party and little is known about how the visits were funded.
The Times has claimed Mr Werritty declared about £20,000 in income from his private companies over the past four years.The Times has claimed Mr Werritty declared about £20,000 in income from his private companies over the past four years.
In Parliament, Mr Fox said Mr Werritty's income was "not dependent on any transactional behaviour to maintain his income".In Parliament, Mr Fox said Mr Werritty's income was "not dependent on any transactional behaviour to maintain his income".
He also apologised to MPs for the controversy but insisted that he had never put national security at risk.
The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale said government sources had indicated that Mr Werritty had agreed to meet officials at a location outside London on Tuesday.The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale said government sources had indicated that Mr Werritty had agreed to meet officials at a location outside London on Tuesday.
They said this was intended to be an initial conversation between the investigation team and Mr Werritty in order to help answer some outstanding questions.They said this was intended to be an initial conversation between the investigation team and Mr Werritty in order to help answer some outstanding questions.
'No choice''No choice'
Meanwhile, Labour has been stepping up the pressure on Mr Fox over the whole affair. Meanwhile, Labour has been stepping up the pressure on Mr Fox over the affair.
MP John Mann said: "The cover-up comes across as being even worse than whatever's been done in the first place.MP John Mann said: "The cover-up comes across as being even worse than whatever's been done in the first place.
"And with all this hanging over him, and this strange relationship with Adam Werritty... it does seem to me that David Cameron's got no choice: he's going to have to get rid of Liam Fox from his cabinet.""And with all this hanging over him, and this strange relationship with Adam Werritty... it does seem to me that David Cameron's got no choice: he's going to have to get rid of Liam Fox from his cabinet."
But Conservative MP Nick Boles said he did not believe Mr Fox was irreparably damaged. Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman demanded to know why the investigation into Mr Fox's conduct was not being carried out by the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Philip Mawer.
"I'm sure that Liam has learned from this. I'm sure that everybody in front-line politics has learned from this," he said. Speaking at deputy prime minister's questions in the Commons she said the Ministerial Code of Conduct made clear it was not the role of senior civil servants, led by the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, to enforce the code.
"We need to have clearer rules and abide by them. But, nothing yet has been suggested that somehow the public interest was harmed." "Doesn't this show that they are prepared to sacrifice high standards in public office to protect the Secretary of State?" she said.
Mr Cameron has discussed the findings of href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15247004" >an interim report on the inquiry with Mr Fox, a Downing Street spokesman said. "There is clearly a need for investigation, not least into whether Mr Werritty profited by his association with the Secretary of State. This goes to the heart of trust in government."
The prime minister is not expected to make a final decision on Mr Fox's future until he sees the full report, which is due on 21 October. But Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Sir Gus should be allowed to complete his work "so that the full facts can be made available to the prime minister and then decisions can be made".