Labour MP Anas Sarwar Urges Electoral Commission To Investigate Liam Fox Row

Labour MP Writes Urges Electoral Commission To Investigate Liam Fox Row
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A Labour MP has written to the Electoral Commission, asking them to investigate the latest claims made about Liam Fox's friend and self-styled adviser Adam Werritty.

Werritty, who was best man Liam Fox's wedding and a former flat-mate, had been on eighteen foreign trips with the defence secretary since the general election, despite Werritty holding no official government position.

Speculation as to how Werritty's travel arrangements were paid for has been going on for the last day, and on Wednesday a friend of Liam Fox has offered an explanation to the BBC.

Speaking to the BBC's political editor anoymously, the so-called 'backer' of Liam Fox tells Nick Robinson that he was one of those who raised funds for Werritty's travel. This, he says, was to ensure that someone "could be relied on to champion support for Eurosceptic, pro-American and pro-Israeli policies."

The revelation that Werritty was being paid by others to act as an "unofficial adviser" to Fox undermines the MoD's claim that he was only present on foreign trips with the defence secretary in a "personal capacity".

In his letter to the Electoral Commission, Anas Sarwar writes:

"Records of donors available on the Electoral Commission website list a number of donations to Dr Fox but none of these date from after the 2010 election - a period when Mr Werritty is reported to have been an advisor to Dr Fox - and it is unclear whether these donations relate to money used for the employment of Adam Werritty.

Additionally, Dr Fox's entry in the House of Commons Register of Members' Financial Interests makes no reference to Adam Werritty."

Fox told reporters this morning: "I'm continuing to do what is needed at the moment which is that the defence secretary focuses on defence issues."