Fox apologises over breach of ministerial code

Britain's former defence secretary Liam Fox apologised to fellow-MPs today over his association with close friend and self-styled adviser Adam Werritty.

He said his resignation last week had come as “a deep personal disappointment”.

In a personal statement to the House of Commons a day after Sir Gus O’Donnell’s report into his links with Mr Werritty, Dr Fox accepted the Cabinet Secretary’s conclusion that he had breached the ministerial code.

But he said his case had been the subject of a “media frenzy” which included expressions of “a personal vindictiveness, and even hatred, that should worry all of us”.

Dr Fox paid tribute to his wife Jesme and pledged his continuing loyalty to David Cameron’s Government.

“I will continue to give this Government my full support as they rescue the economy from the mess we inherited,” he said.