THE House of Commons was not at its best yesterday in the aftermath of the Liam Fox affair. Speeches made by a minister after resignation are inevitably awkward affairs but Dr Fox's sometimes reserved apologies -- The ministerial code has been found to be breached -- were hardly a reflection of the damning report by Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, which found fault with Mr Fox on counts ranging from ignoring warnings about his relationship with Adam Werritty to apparently favouring in some cases a foreign policy somewhat different from that of the Government of which he was a member. Nor was Mr Fox's attack on a vindictive press justified. It is the job of a free press to expose inappropriate official behaviour when it affects the national interest and is not being pursued vigorously by the government itself.
When Mr Fox ended his statement he was congratulated by a number of right-wing Conservative MPs who had been conspicuous in supporting him all last week as the evidence accumulated until he had to resign under its weight.
One should not desert a friend or close colleague in his darkest hour but these MPs continue to give the impression that they support Mr Fox substantively. It must be worrying for the prime minister to know that Mr Fox will be part of a far right-wing group within the party.
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