Few think Fox can survive

Woody

So - who's next?

Irascible Old Git

Can't they get Oliver Letwin to pick up the report from Ms Grey on his way home from work?

ButcombeMan

OF COURSE he cannot survive, obvious from the beginning.

Worse Cameron's weakness in not dealing expeditiously with the matter left a dangerous vacuum in which other Ministers have had to mouth supportive nonsense and a gap at the MOD while they worry about who they will get.

Cameron spiinning that it would have been weak to act expeditiously, before he has the full facts, is ridiculous.

He should have called Fox in, asked the obvious pointed questions and when he failed to get satisfactory replies, told Fox the gun was on the table in the library.

THAT is how a strong manager and individual would act. Even Fox could not have complained. Dithering is rarely the right course.

Simon Castle

Apart from Fraser!

Lonesome Dave

I am a great supporter of the PM but he needs to 'man up' quickly and do the right, and indeed strict, thing; this mess will only get worse. If Liam Fox had any nous he'd go this evening.

The PM is going to need to be a damn sight more brutal with this lot (including Huhne and Cable) than he has hitherto been - strength will resonate with the country, the party and the cabinet.

There's nothing like a few executions to focus the mind...

Gawain

This rather odd saga suggests to me that we have developed a new jurisprudence. We now fall under the jurisdiction of a mysterious network of insiders consisting of a small number if senior politicians, their contacts in the media and senior civil servants. Under this new jurisdiction anyone and any activity that falls outside this network is suspect. The suspects are subject to media witch hunt and secret non judicial investigations with the presumption being that everyone and all non network activities are guilty unless proved innocent beyond all rational standard of proof. Who's next ? Almost anyone, unless you're part of the network.

For those of us outside this weird bubble it looks as if all our democratic institutions and the conventional judicial system are entirely redundant. It is completely mad !

Nicholas

Labour's "John Major sleaze" campaign shaping up well. Who's next indeed.

wrinkled weasel

Toast by Tuesday

Heartless Perry

This but diverts attention from the H2B, - chief culprit and mastermind of the mess we're now in.

BTW - any word of the H2B doing something about energy prices - apart from mealy mouthed platitudes that is?

Tom Pride

Nothing to worry about. Letwin's just a Russian spy:
http://tompride.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/oliver-letvin-a-russian-spy/

David Lindsay

Margaret Thatcher was Patron of his fake charity, whose only employee was Adam Werrity.

People with very strong views on America and Israel, by no means shared by all Americans or Israelis, paid Werrity and paid for Werrity to travel the world as an apparent staffer to the Secretary of State for Defence, complete with a business card bearing the Portcullis.

So, not only a party within the Conservative Party, but a state within the British State. Both funded certainly on behalf of, and probably by, foreign political factions highly contentious even within their own countries. And both under at least the titular headship of Margaret Thatcher.

Is your mind boggling yet?

Yorkshire Lad

I have been noting the posts on this all week across various media. Most sensible tend to come here. One theory to put forward as follows: Maybe Cam Man is not being as silly as some make out given the cards in his hand. We all know - and have since the outset - Dr Fox is as guilty as Foxy Knoxy. Guilty of what depends on your morals and view of proceedure, but that aspect aside - if Cam had sacked Fox when we think he should have,he would have been faced with a trouble causer on the back benches. The facts behind Fox and his activities would perhaps have not been dug up during this week by the media and Fox is left with at least enough credibility to piss in the tent from back benches. So maybe leaving this space allows the press to give Fox no alternative as the facts come out - leaving no cred and no trouble for some time from Fox out of the tent. When he goes - he will have to lay low for quite some time with this death by a thousand cuts. Just a thought. I think Cam is playing a strategic game here and letting one of his key threats burn in the media. If so - well done.

Axstane

The reason that Cameron did not sack Fox immediately is because Liam is identified as the most powerful of the right-wing Parliamentary Conservatives. Cameron would have been accused of opportunism to get rid of a future challenger.

Once again the eternal anti-Camerons here ignore all reality in their haste to condemn.

He is playing this the right way - if the Sir Gus report damns Fox then he will go without being pushed. Pity Patrick Mercer could not be brought back. Instead we will get another politico without military savvy although I would be happy with either of the Stewarts, Colonel Bob or Rory.

jo

The PM looks so weak over all this.

FvH

So why did The Speccie run a story Tuesday saying Why Fox Will Survive?

MilkSnatcher

Never mind Tuesday, he's just resigned per the Telegraph.

Irascible Old Git

Trouble is with your theory, Yorkshire Lad, is that Fox is evidently not dependent on either the good will of the Prime Minister, the advice of the civil service, nor, it seems, his own government salary, as he is backed to the hilt by this mysterious cabal.

Cameron, on the other hand, can't even count on the support of loyal Tory voters.

David Lindsay

As a comment on my blog puts it:

“Remember when Damian Thompson called you batshit crazy for pointing out this treasonable relationship between the people running the Tory party and the Israeli far right? Who's batshit crazy now? Surely Dr T cannot have been paid to say such things by the people running the Tory party and the Israeli far right? Perish the thought.”

To which I have replied:

“Please do not swear on my blog. But yes, I remember it well.

Of course, they cannot properly be described as Tories.”

I S

Fraser has made even more of a prat of himself than usual. Is he the one referred to as 'having been given assurances'? This exposes him as being utterly credulous and also a part of the politico-media nexus that have left the credibility of both in tatters.
Also, why does Fox have an ex-US Forces man as a SPAD? His links with the US have long been suspect.
Butcombe - Agree, that is what any decent executive would have done. Unfortunately, none of these plonkers have real-world experience.

FvH

Fox must start the "Sound" fightback from the backbenches! Starting Monday morning

Axstane the ignorant

Axstane blows any credibility ever possessed by suggesting that any of the prize prats of Stewart x 2 and Mercer would be anything other than disastrous at the MOD. I wouldn't follow you out of curiosity Axstane; are you a retired major?