Dr Liam Fox resigns as Defence Secretary

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has been forced to resign after a week of allegations made his position untenable.

The beleaguered minister has had a stressful week following a number of revelations about his working relationship with friend and so-called advisor Adam Werritty. Though Dr Fox has denied any wrongdoing, he admitted blurring the lines between his personal and professional life and has been investigated by the Cabinet Secretary amid claims he had broken ministerial duties.

In his resignation letter to prime minister David Cameron, Dr Fox wrote,

"The consequences of this have become clearer in recent days," he added. "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."

There had been scrutiny over Dr Fox's close relationship with Werritty, who had enjoyed close access to him and attended no fewer than 40 meetings since last year's general elections, with nearly half taking place overseas. Dr Fox has repeatedly denied Werritty had worked for him in an official or unofficial capacity but it emerged Werritty claimed to be part of Dr Fox's entourage and also handed out business cards which described him as an "advisor" to the Defence Secretary.

The pressure on the Defence Secretary continued to build in the past few days but today it emerged that Werritty had 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.

Other details which emerged this week included Dr Fox's failure to declare he attended a £320-per-head dinner in Washington with senior figures from the defence industry and Mr Werritty. The Defence Secretary also apparently defied official policy as he helped set-up a private investment firm in Sri Lanka last summer. The Government has dissociated itself from the state amid allegations of war crimes.