Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox

From a prime ministerial point of view, the correct call on the Fox-Werritty scandal seems clear: It’s time to send the defence secretary on his way.

Either wrongdoing has been committed – in this case that an unauthorised personal contact, seemingly through friendship, had a high level of access into Ministry of Defence business, in addition to an expenses scandal – or it looks so bad that the government will continue be seriously damaged by Fox’s presence around the cabinet table.

Liam-Fox-David-Cameron
Even as seriously, Werritty’s career in serial lobbying outfits that were not exactly great money-spinners but appear to have mirrored Fox’s ministerial path raises concerns of ‘taxis for hire’ political behaviour. However, numerous right-wing commentators have written this morning that Cameron is just too weak to get rid of Fox.

As Paul Goodman puts it on Conservative Home this morning:

“The most pressing reason for Cameron wanting to keep his Defence Secretary aboard is not the desire for a quiet life, but a fear of the future. As we know from the depature of Fox’s heroine, Lady Thatcher, stab-in-the-back myths can have potency and resonance.

“If the prime minister were to lose him quickly, he would not only have yet another senior right-winger loose on the backbenches but risk the emergence of exactly such a story – of a left-of-Tory-centre leader wanting to lose a right-of-Tory-centre rival.”

Meanwhile, Peter McKay in this morning’s Daily Mail writes:

“The defence secretary was a candidate in a leadership election won by moderate Cameron. He’s a token Thatcherite in a Cabinet of fence-sitters. He’d be sensitive to any interference from No 10.

“As a diehard Atlanticist, Fox also keeps close to the Americans, who might not actually choose our defence secretaries, but know how to get rid of them when required. Cameron wouldn’t want them thinking he was hassling their friend unnecessarily.”

Even Benedict Brogan, the coalition’s emmisary to Fleet Street, alludes to the prime minister’s problem thus:

“He and Dave will never be bosom mates, but Dr Fox serves a useful purpose as one of the few keepers of the Thatcherite flame around the Cabinet table.”

Fox is a threat to Cameron, vulnerable, damaging to his government and bringing politics into disrepute – but the prime minister may just be too weak to get rid of him.

See also:

• Fox admits doubling of nuclear price-tag – Kate Hudson, May 19th 2011

• Why is Fox “bigging up” the threat posed by Iran? – Frank Spring, March 1st 2011

• Coalition sacks brave troops rather than risk anger of defence contractors – Marcus Roberts, September 13th 2010

• Fox’s Sri Lankan jolly under scrutiny – Elliott Fox, March 23rd 2010

• Questions Fox must answer over close links to Sri Lankan “dictator” – Elliott Fox, February 18th 2010

http://twitter.com/unisonroger/status/123337677910183937 Roger McKenzie

RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/3Q9R9dX6 writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/chloegreene21/status/123338916811128832 Chloe Greene

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/jO1QFoQw writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/politicalplanet/status/123339092858646528 Political Planet

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: Liam Fox is a threat to David Cameron, vulnerable, damaging to his gover… http://t.co/BeFNH15H
http://twitter.com/markfergusonuk/status/123340000325672961 Mark Ferguson

Weak, Weak, Weak RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/ERvRMFPn writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/tonyburke2010/status/123341994176151552 Tony Burke

RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox http://t.co/7rlp78pf
http://twitter.com/susanturner8/status/123342733069926400 sue turner

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/jO1QFoQw writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/danniilowe/status/123345632462241793 Danielle Lowe

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/jO1QFoQw writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/sbrady82/status/123345755258884096 Stuart Brady

“@leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/KpCzRbfm ." decent analysis;strugglin to sack fox=seriously weak
http://twitter.com/brianfmoylan/status/123346909636206592 Brian Moylan

RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/Oc3Cr0xi writes @DanielElton #ukpolitics #Fox
http://twitter.com/stevejones93/status/123347938419281921 Steve Jones

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/jO1QFoQw writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/123350157814267904 Michael

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/dFRKCIWW
http://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/123350657162944514 sunny hundal

Weak, Weak, Weak RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/ERvRMFPn writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/samsoprano30/status/123350727040049152 Sam hussain

Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/dFRKCIWW
http://twitter.com/labour52rose/status/123351956952580096 Alex Braithwaite

RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox http://t.co/N0pYkt6B
http://twitter.com/hellodavsk/status/123352342358798336 Dave Manning

Weak, Weak, Weak RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/ERvRMFPn writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/blindjustice41/status/123352538182451200 w.m o’mara

Weak, Weak, Weak RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/ERvRMFPn writes @DanielElton
http://twitter.com/alexburrett/status/123353849883918337 Alex Burrett

RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox http://t.co/GZUH7SqG
http://twitter.com/biensoeur/status/123356589062225921 Jules Mackay

Weak, Weak, Weak RT @leftfootfwd: Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox: http://t.co/ERvRMFPn writes @DanielElton
treborc

Seems I remember Labour getting into worse states with Ministers refusing to come home from holidays when our lads died in battles, skiing was more important, then sneaking off for holidays on Oligarch yachts.

It’s the green house again and throwing stones.
Kevin leonard

Not only should fox be removed from office but he should also be removed from the party. I would even go so far as to say he should be removed from Parliament as an example to the rest of the parasites. Not going to happen though as they all band together and look after each other no matter how bad they have been.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/chris-grayling-dragged-into-liam-fox-adam-werritty-row/ Grayling dragged into Fox/Werritty scandal – are Osborne, Gove and Hague next? | Left Foot Forward

[...] also: • Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox – Daniel Elton, October 10th [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/how-long-can-liam-fox-cling-on-adam-werritty-scandal/ How long can slippery Fox cling on? | Left Foot Forward

[...] Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox – Daniel Elton, October 10th [...]
http://twitter.com/andrewwlittle/status/124525608381321217 Andrew Little

weak, weak, weak: Why Cameron is struggling to fire Fox: http://t.co/gwzG550b
http://twitter.com/rosiemop/status/124526174624944128 Rosie

weak, weak, weak: Why Cameron is struggling to fire Fox: http://t.co/gwzG550b
http://twitter.com/jonathonblakele/status/124526401297723392 Jonathon Blakeley

weak, weak, weak: Why Cameron is struggling to fire Fox: http://t.co/gwzG550b
http://twitter.com/mobymooby/status/124531107512332288 Pete

@leftfootfwd So much for the "leadership" Cameron was banging in about in his Conference speech – weak indeed http://t.co/OtKlVpR0
http://twitter.com/blairsupporter/status/124548184138723329 Blair Supporter

Hey, a Blair reference! #whereswaldo RT @leftfootfwd: weak, weak, weak: Why Cameron is struggling to fire Fox: http://t.co/h4MShgjC
http://twitter.com/gplondon/status/124555740500340736 Geoffrey Pearson

weak, weak, weak: Why Cameron is struggling to fire Fox: http://t.co/gwzG550b
http://twitter.com/wtbdavidg/status/124591222747709440 David Gillon

Possibly most disturbing in this analysis of the Fox-Farrago is the idea the cabinet are actually _moderate_ Tories. http://t.co/LTSiYHRk
http://twitter.com/narco_sam/status/124591720116654080 Sam Barnett-Cormack

Possibly most disturbing in this analysis of the Fox-Farrago is the idea the cabinet are actually _moderate_ Tories. http://t.co/LTSiYHRk
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/124603111338803200 Shamik Das

And for more on the #Fox #Werritty scandal see http://t.co/Sa0XP6D3 & http://t.co/H7MliGIg & http://t.co/DhbPcPgE #BBCQT
http://godlessfaith.blogspot.com/ Sam Barnett-Cormack

I think Cameron is actually trying to look strong by not firing Fox.
http://twitter.com/erazman/status/124639132638134273 E Azicate

weak, weak, weak: Why Cameron is struggling to fire Fox: http://t.co/gwzG550b
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/fox-resigns-sparking-puns-from-all-sides/ Fox resigns, sparking puns from all sides | Left Foot Forward

[...] Fox has certainly been greatly weakened already, and the Friday timing of the resignation hints at more to come in the Sunday papers – but the belief that a strong right-winger on the backbenches would be a danger for Cameron is a pervasive one within the right-wing blogs, as Daniel Elton reported for us on Tuesday. [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/look-left-14-10-11/ Look Left – Cameron bids Fox ‘thank you and goodbye’ | Left Foot Forward

[...] There is more on Fox’s resignation on Left Foot Forward here, and we’ve got more on the Fox/Werritty scandal, as it developed this week, here, here, here and here. [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/liam-fox-adam-werritty-sri-lanka-links-newsnight-investigation/ Fox/Werritty Sri Lankan jollies come under fresh scrutiny | Left Foot Forward

[...] Weak Cameron will struggle to fire Fox – Daniel Elton, October 10th [...]